Saviour
by vulturemonem
Summary: Bella Swan is no stranger to abuse, having had nothing but it since her parents died, and she was left to the Blacks. But when Bella is transferred to Forks High School, everything changes, she meets Edward Cullen and is desperate to protect him from her world. Caught up in abuse, protection and love, Bella must find the courage to sort out her life, before it's too far gone. B/E
1. Chapter 1-Alone

**Disclaimer!**

**I do not own Twilight, although I would love to. I am merely having far too much fun with Stephanie's characters and story lines, and torturing them far more than I should! All rights belong to Stephanie, except for my story line and any characters I invent.**

**Enjoy!**

**Lucy XD**

I stared at the officer in front of me. He was telling me something, but my brain refused to process it.

"Honey, I'm sorry. But you're parents are gone, they're dead," he said, crouching down so he could look into my eyes.

They filled with tears. What d'you expect when you tell a barely-two-year-old she's lost her mummy and daddy? I felt familiar arms pick me up, and I looked into the eyes of my second mother. Jacob's mother. Mrs Black. Billy, his father, held baby Jacob in his arms, and wrapped an arm around his wife.

She held me, and I cried into her shoulder, loud, bawling sobs. The kind that would make grown men shake with emotion. I clutched at the locket that hung around my neck.

It was a silver heart, on a fine chain. Inside, it contained two pictures, one of my mum and dad, one of the three of us. On the back were the words, 'always in our hearts. We love you Bella. Mum and Dad.' The words were tiny, and had been difficult to fit in, but I knew them off by heart. I let go of the chain, and let the tears stream down my cheeks silently.

The adults were talking, but I didn't know what about. I couldn't really hear them, their voices were blurry. The officer left, and carried me to the little living room.

"I'm sorry Bella. You're staying with us now," she soothed, smoothing my hair and kissing my forehead tenderly.

I sniffled, and relaxed into her. But the tears flowed over again when I realised I would never see them again. Sobs wracked through my young, tiny body as I over-thought it all. The Blacks were great family friends, and I was staying there while my parents were away. My parents...

I cried myself to sleep the next few nights, and Jacob's mother hardly left my side, unless attending to Jacob or Billy. I could tell that her husband disapproved of the undevoted time she spent with me, but she ignored him, pursing her lips when it was mentioned. I was very grateful.

Even as a child, I could tell that I was the cause of the heated arguments between husband and wife. I often tripped up, just over flat ground, and despite any hard feelings any of the Blacks felt towards me, they all had fun laughing at my clumsiness.

I really like Jacob's sisters, they were a little older than me, but they were great friends.

A few weeks after my parents died, I was getting used to my new life, although photos of Carmen and Eleazar still adorned the mantel piece. But it was soon to turn into ruins.

"Billy! I've had enough of this! She's going through so much! We should treat her as our own, that's what the Swans wanted us to do."

"Honey, we have a family, and you're spending all your time with her! Look at Jacob!" Billy said.

"I've had enough!" she pulled a ring off her left hand, "Goodbye Billy," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

I stared at her, as she scooped up her two daughters, and then me. I watched Billy's face turn from pained, to a cruel smirk.

"The Swans left her to me, not us," Billy said, putting emphasis on the words 'me' and 'us'.

Slowly, carefully, she put me down, and handed me over to Billy. Jacob was asleep in his cot, thumb in mouth, and was spared the horror of the moment.

The police continued to check on me for a few months, and I told the truth. I was happy. I liked playing with Jacob, and Billy, although not so caring as his wife, treated me well, and still had hours of fun laughing when I fell over like the klutz I was.

The years passed, and I was suddenly at my sixth birthday. I was going to 'school' on the Res., and I was still happy. The police no longer checked on me, but I didn't care, I loved life, although there would always be a little hole that my parents took with them when they died.

I was done unwrapping my presents, and Jacob has taken off with one of my cards. I still liked Jacob, so I began to chase him around the room. I heard Billy laughing at the two of us, and I grinned as I neared Jacob.

Before I could stretch out and grab him, he tripped over a piece of discarded wrapping paper and fell to the floor. He burst into tears, and I ran over to him, checking he wasn't really hurt. I didn't think he was, so I patted his head and apologised. I did, however, grab back my card with a momentary grin. Jacob glared at me, and was scooped up by Billy.

I knew he was fine, and so did Billy, but Billy's face was thunderous. He put Jacob down, and his face turned red as he sucked in a deep breath before yelling.

"That was the last straw Isabella Swan! I hate you," he yelled.

He raised his hand, and struck down upon my tiny cheek. Then he slapped the other one. I fell to the floor, crying, but Billy was relentless. He yanked me up, and I heard a sickening crack and my wrist erupted in fiery agony. Looking back, I had probably broken it. I could feel the heat rising where he'd hit me, and new I had a bruise. Billy smacked my tear-stained cheeks again, and then threw me roughly to the ground.

The abuse had started.

I spent weeks having nightmares, and desperately wanted a surprise visit form the police. The whole town had been sworn to secrecy, including me, and Billy continued to send me to school on the Res. I was given twenty pounds that I could spend on clothes over the following year, and he bought me a load of make-up to cover up my constant bruising.

The few friends I had made at school deserted me, and Billy banned the children from talking to me. It was the worst time of my life.

My seventh birthday went uncelebrated, and Billy deemed me old enough to be a domestic slave. After I came home, and before I went to school, I had to cook and clean. I could hardly reach the cupboards, so I got several self-inflicted wounds from falling off chairs I used to reach high. As they snored or watched TV, I slaved away with my seven-year-old hands, Billy barking orders at me, and hitting me often.

A few years passed, none of my birthdays being celebrated, and the other half of the Blacks never returned, I was utterly alone.

One ordinary evening, I was making dinner for them, lasagne, and was draining the peas before I served up. I was small for my nine years, and had to stretch up to reach the sink, so when I was handling three things, it was rather awkward. I was just about to pour them into a sieve, when Jacob bashed into the back of me, making my spill the scalding water all over my arm. I bit back my scream, and ran the cold tap to try and stop the burns leaving puss and scarring as I knew they could. Thankfully, with a dose of Savlon, they healed pretty quickly. But I knew Billy would never waste money taking me to the hospital.

The abuse continued, and I was completely and utterly alone.

**A/N**

**Ok, so that's chapter one. I hoped you liked it, the rest will be coming when I finish something!**

**Lucy XD**


	2. Chapter 2-My Own Living Hell

A few years passed without change, and Billy continued to abuse me, both of them making my life a misery. It wasn't long after my twelfth birthday that I realised how much worse things were going to get.

When I found the blood in my knickers, I wished desperately that there was a woman in my life that I could talk to, that could defend me, but there was no-one. Nobody had heard from Sarah Black in years, and I knew that she wasn't going to come back no save me. I was stuck here.

After school, I left from the back entrance, making sure I didn't run into anyone, student or teacher. I had to hide behind the lockers of the older students more than once, and my heart thudded as I pulled my aching body through the corridors.

After what seemed like hours, but what was in reality only five minutes or so, I reached the back entrance unnoticed. I slipped out, being careful to take all of the dark, secluded alleys to the corner shop that was my destination. I pulled a few coins from the pocket of my ripped, too-small jeans and entered the shop.

I was taken aback when faced with the crazy amount of stuff available. I picked two boxes up gingerly, a little nervous about the whole thing, and took them to the counter. The lady gave me a sympathetic look, but said nothing. That was how it was, always how it was. Regardless of whether they wanted to offer words of comfort, they couldn't. Billy's orders were to act as though I didn't exist, and that hurt.

I guess I should have been used to his harsh words by then, but they never failed to cut deep down, slicing right through my heart. He'd talk about Sarah, about how she'd be disgusted with me and not want to set eyes on me again. He'd talk about how I was such a bad influence on the children of La Push. He'd say that Jacob shouldn't have to suffer through his childhood with me in the house. And then the worst one, he'd talk about how I'd disgraced my parents.

I hid the boxes in my jumper and ran home, trying not to be too late. If I was, I could always say I'd had a detention or something. I couldn't tell them the real reason, I just couldn't. It would feel so wrong. Like talking to your boyfriend's Dad about it.

Boyfriend...

The word hovered in my mind, another thing about my life that was in ruins. There was a dance at school soon, and all the girls were talking about getting dates for it. But I couldn't. Partly because nobody spoke to me, but even if they did, it would be horrible of me to involve them in my life, to endanger them, to risk them getting caught in the cross-fire and being shot.

By the time I'd got home, I was late. To be fair, only about ten minutes late, but that didn't stop Billy finding the excuse to punish me. Not that he needed an excuse or anything, he just decided to abuse me when he felt like it.

He smirked when I walked through the door, and I lowered my gaze, willing him to be in a good mood. Luck was not on my side. Then again, luck was never on my side, me and luck were enemies. He walked forwards slowly, his lips curled into a threatening half-smile, pulled back slightly from his teeth. I couldn't help comparing him to a dog.

Pretending Billy wasn't there, I walked quickly past him and up to my room. I was surprised when he let me pass. Shakily, I set my bag down on the floor by the mattress I slept on and pulled out my books for homework. My hand trembled as I copied out and completed the algebra, and the short, stubby pencil snapped twice as I pressed too hard.

I picked my books up off the floor and threw them into my old, dirty schoolbag, before shoving my bag near the pile of too-small clothes in the corner of my bedroom. I ran to the bathroom, grabbing one of the things I'd bought after school. After reading over the leaflet, I set to work, and was done in a few minutes. Sometimes I wished I were a guy, life was so much simpler.

I crept downstairs and slipped into the kitchen. My bare feet padded against the cold floor and the draughts set shivers down my spine, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. I pulled my brown hair back into a ponytail and opened the fridge. We were running low on food, so I wrote a quick note to remind myself to get some stuff the next day. I took out a packet of spaghetti and a saucepan. I filled the saucepan up and threw in the spaghetti, stirring it with one hand while I tore up pieces of ham, throwing them in. Leaving the meal, I grated some cheese and chucked a handful on three plates. It was getting late, and I knew Billy would be furious if I served dinner past half six, so I made a grab for the handle of the saucepan and went to split it onto the plates. I swore quietly as I burnt my finger on the ring of the hob, and ended up wobbling ans spilling a little boiling water. I sighed as I regained my balance and looked in the fridge again. I grabbed two cartons of juice and a can of beer for Billy, then put everything on the tray Sarah had left behind and took it into the dining room.

"In the living room Girl," Billy barked, sneering.

I walked quickly into the lounge and put the tray down. I handed Billy his stuff and waited for Jacob before I started mine, knowing the beatings were usually lighter if I was more 'polite'. Jacob walked down, his nose in the air as he looked down at me. Well, I guess he looked up, as he was a few inches shorter than me, but the intent was the same. I handed him his food silently and sat down.

Billy flicked lazily through the channels, before settling on some chick-flick show. Half-naked girls danced across the screen, and I was a little revolted that he was watching this with his ten-year-old son in the room. Yeah, I was also a little freaked that Billy was female enough to like that kind of stuff, cringe-worthy.

I sat huddled into the corner of the sofa, waiting for the beating that I knew I'd get. I squirmed around at the intense look Jacob was giving me and shivered. I ignored the dancing women and focused my eyes on my hands. They were covered in cuts and bruises, and burns from cooking. Dirt was caked under my nails and across my hard, dry and cracked skin.

I was snapped out of my trance by the sudden silence that descended. I looked up, terrified, to see both Billy and Jacob staring at me. Billy was watching me wickedly, an evil grin plastered over his face, and Jacob was watching expectantly, waiting for the punishments that his father would deal out.

"Stand up Girl," Billy ordered.

I stood up on his order, wincing as I pulled at the wounds I'd gained over the past few days, weeks, months and years. Billy raised his hand over my face, his facial expression twisted into some kind of sick enjoyment. He struck down hard, and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. It throbbed, and I knew only too well that it would leave a great big ugly bruise.

I could picture the signs perfectly, having so much experience. First the faint blue smear that hurts and throbs constantly, then turning darker to a black and brown, the pain not easing though the throbbing stopping a little. Then finally the golden-yellow that hurt only when touched.

I felt for every bruise, cut and other injury I had, and didn't even attempt to count them as Billy struck down on my other cheek. I winced, and he cackled a little. He was mad. Jacob stepped forwards timidly, and I begged him with my eyes not to do anything or say anything.

When little, Jacob and myself had been great friends, but when Billy had first hit me, it was like he was snapping our friendship in half, ending it for us. Jacob had never actually hurt me, but he had been shouting insults at me for the past year or two and he found every excuse to get me into trouble. That hurt. Every time he did that I felt my heart ache as I remembered the fun, care-free little boy he had been. The one with a smile or grin on his face more often than not.

I didn't realise I'd fallen onto the floor until Billy wrenched me up, leaving a burning sensation in my wrist. I wanted to cry, but I had to save that for later. No! I scolded myself. You must never cry, you can never show weakness, because they always see, and they always punish you. So instead, I closed my eyes, willing the tight ache in the back of my throat to disappear.

"Open your eyes!" Billy roared!

Jacob looked up to Billy, who nodded curtly at his son. The exchange made no sense to me. What on earth were they conversing about? Had I been so wrapped up in my own thoughts that they'd spoken without me noticing? I bit my lower lip and stared straight ahead at the grey wall, seeing the picture of Sarah, Billy and Jacob through my peripheral vision.

Jacob took another step towards me, now inches from my face. He raised his fist and punched my face. I cried out in pain, not expecting Jacob to actually hit me. I mean he was ten years old for crying out loud! I felt blood trickle down my face from my nose and lip, but I didn't think it was broken. I was sorely tempted to spit the blood pooling in my mouth at the two bullies in front of me, but I decided against it. It would only land me in more trouble.

"Well done son," Billy said quietly, patting Jacob's back.

I stared at the two of them incredulously. They never ceased to amaze me. Billy was congratulating his son for abusing a girl of twelve years old? His ten year old son? A sob escaped my lips, earning me another smack from Billy. My breathing was heavy and I was exhausted.

"Get that cleared up!" Billy said sharply, nodding to the remains of dinner.

Silently, I picked up the plates and took them to the kitchen. I washed them up by hand, not wanting to risk it with the rather temperamental dishwasher. I held back the stream of profanities I wanted to release when I dropped and smashed a plate, and instead swept the pieces up and into the bin, careful to to cut myself on the sharp edges.

I could hear Billy roaring in laughter at the TV in the other room as I worked, and I wondered how I'd ended up in this mess that was called life. No, this mess that was called my childhood. Oh yeah, my parents were hit by a bloody drunk-driver, and they died. Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought of the parents I barely remembered.

I remembered that my mother had curly, chesnut-brown hair that fell half-way down her back. She hardly ever tied it back and she hated Forks, but she lived there for my father. My father had had dark brown hair. He hardly ever expressed his emotions, and I remembered little else about them. Except for their voices, of course.

I dried the plates and discarded Jacob's remaining food, before putting them away in the high cupboard. I had to stand on a chair to reach, and I swore that Billy tried to make it all as difficult for me as possible. I walked back out, deciding to go to bed now, if Billy didn't have anything else in store for me.

"Goodnight Girl!" Billy barked.

We parted with his usual slap to my cheek, and I rushed upstairs. I looked in the bathroom mirror and sighed. The recent slap had made my cheek bleed, and it was dripping onto my neck. I grabbed a flannel and began the slow, painful process of stopping the cuts bleeding further and easing the pain.

I put the flannel down and changed into an old, threadbare pair of pyjamas. Just before I left, I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my lower stomach. I fished the bottle of calpol from the medicine cupboard and poured myself two spoons. I took several deep breaths, hoping the period pains would be short, and then walked from the bathroom.

Billy and Jacob were still downstairs, and I slipped into my bedroom quietly. I dove under the thin sheet that covered the mattress and drew it around me tightly. My room had no heating in it, and I slept many nights freezing, wearing two pairs of socks and my jumper. After a few minutes, I did just that, pulling out a pair of dirty socks and my only jumper. The socks had been white once upon a time, but they were a dirty-brown now.

I curled up into a tight ball and forced my eyes shut. The only escape I ever got was sleep, and that was a blessing. As I did every night, I begged someone to come and save me. This is the moment when the kids says they prayed, but I didn't believe in God and heaven and all that. Now I'm not so sure, but that's another story, and one which will be revealed in good time.

***

At the Clearwater's House

"Mum!" Seth whined as Sue pointed up the stairs, "Leah isn't going to bed yet!"

"Leah is three years older than you. Bed. Now!" Sue said.

Harry smiled at his son and nodded. Seth huffed in frustration, muttering about life being unfair. Sue snorted at her son in a rather unladylike manner, and Leah looked down, feeling a little ashamed. How could her brother whine about bedtime when there was a girl being abused like hell by the Blacks?

"Doesn't know the meaning of the word," Harry muttered, the same thoughts running through his head as his daughter's.

"Sometimes I feel like snitching on them. It's evil to do that," Sue said darkly.

Leah left the room, not wanting to hear her parents' talk about Isabella Swan. When Sarah had been around, Leah had hung around with Bella a bit when she saw Rebecca and Rachel. Leah sighed, laying back on her bed. Her mother was right. Someone needed to snitch about the Blacks, but seriously? Who'd risk their neck? It was pathetic how cowardly we all are, Leah thought.

She listened to her brother's loud snores from across the landing as she remembered the first time her parents had explained to her about not talking to anyone about the abuse going on inside the Black's house. She shivered, remembering how terrified she'd been at just seven years old.

Although Bella tried hard to cover her bruises with make-up, a lot showed through. Granted, she was getting much better at it, but the first time it'd been terrible. She always wore the same clothes, and Leah doubted she owned anything else. Hell, she probably only owned three pairs of pants and two bras!

Leah swore at herself mentally. She shouldn't joke about it. Not that it wasn't true, Bella almost certainly had no more than that, which was gross. Leah sighed. She should set up a charity. Or adopt Bella. Except Billy would kill her and her family of she did. It wasn't fair.

She wondered what Bella was doing now. Sleeping? Cooking? Cleaning? Being abused? Leah shivered at the last, and fervently hoped that wasn't the case.

Banishing the thoughts of Bella from her mind, Leah eased herself from her clothes and had a hot shower. She was willing to bet Bella never had a proper shower, and she was right. There! Thoughts about Bella again! She thought. She turned off the water and climbed out, drying and redressing. As she snuggled under her duvet, she wondered again what Bella was doing at this moment. It was the last thought she had before sleep engulfed her...

As it was, Bella was dreaming of Paradise.

***


	3. Chapter 3-Letters

A/N

Here's chapter 3, and we get our first insight into Edward's mind, although the meeting of the couple is a way off yet. That road is a rocky one! Just a warning, the description of the Cullen house is taken directly from the book, chapter 15. All rights go to Stephanie Meyer!

Lucy xX

***

I held perfectly still, not letting out a single cry as I took blow after low from an angry, thirteen-year-old Jacob. After it had happened, I half-expected a little sympathy from Jacob. Hell, I'd give it to him if he weren't punching me. I understood what it was like to have loved ones hurt, so I had assumed that the accident would appeal to any remaining slice of good left in him, but apparently I was wrong.

Billy's accident had been nobody's fault. He'd collided with another car on a trip to Seattle. It had been a nasty accident, but Billy got out of it pretty well, considering. The other driver was killed, his neck was snapped upon impact, and Billy had severe injuries to his spine. He could no longer walk, and had been in hospital for just over two weeks while they sorted him out as best they could. He'd come home in a wheelchair, and Jacob had pretty much lost it when he saw his father.

And so I became Jacob's personal punch-bag.

I'd learnt to take the abuse silently over the years, and I had to admit, I helped a lot. It was easier when you didn't scream and cry at every hit, when you pretended the tricking blood was just rain washing over your sore skin on one of the many days in Washington where the sky spurted great big teardrops.

"Shit!" Jacob screamed, dragging out the word.

I winced slightly as he hit my face, and I felt the blood running down, and the bruises forming. I knew I'd have a hard time covering all this, but I would have to. I closed my eyes, imagining Paradise again. I did that a lot now. Rather than thinking about the what-ifs of my past, I thought about the possibilities of my future. I couldn't get my parents back, but perhaps I could gain a family. Somehow...

"Jacob!" Billy called up, "School!"

Jacob let out a stream of profanities and hit me twice more, before slamming my bedroom door. I ran to the bathroom, grabbing my jumper and a clean t-shirt. They'd just have to stare at the blood on my jeans, I didn't have anything else. They were used to it now anyway.

I pulled my shirt over my aching body and winced as I looked over the new injuries. Picking up the flannel, I began to gently wipe at a few of the cuts. I suppose I didn't have it so bad. I was allowed to look after myself, but they did hurt me. Frequently. I slipped the cleaner t-shirt over my head and threw on my jumper, not bothering with my hair. I pulled out the little black box of make-up and applied the thick layers of muck, covering the injuries.

I rushed downstairs, but managed to trip on the last stair, falling head-first onto the floorboards. Billy smirked at me, and I lowered my gaze as I walked out, more carefully this time.

***

When I reached my locker after school, I spotted a load of papers tucked inside a deep blue folder on top of my Spanish books. I frowned at pulled the folder out, weighing it in my left hand, holding my rucksack at my side with my right. My name was written on the front, so I slipped it in my bag and gathered all the stuff I needed for homework.

I walked home quickly, eager to get a look at whatever was in that folder, and more so, to find out who it was from. I crossed the road quickly, after waiting for a black Mercedes, and practically ran home. I tried to escape upstairs, but Billy hollered at me before I'd got more than three steps up.

"Not so fast Swan," he hissed, bringing his hand down on my cheek. Well, up on my cheek really.

Billy made Jacob hit me a few times, before telling me to make dinner. I threw some sandwiches together at Billy's request, and then set the table. Jacob gave me a slap in thanks, and Billy a smirk. I was requested to skip dinner, so I thankfully ran upstairs, Jacob hot on my heels. As I entered my room, pretending I hadn't noticed him, I heard him shut the door and lock it. Well crap.

I sat on my mattress and pulled the folder from my bag. I opened the blue cardboard and frowned when I saw a slim photo album in there. I pulled it out and opened it to the first page. I let out a gasp as I saw the caption, and my eyes were drawn to the figures on the page. A tear trailed down my cheek as my eyes fixed on the smiling faces of my parents.

There were a few photographs of my parents at their wedding, my mother dressed in white, my father looking handsome in a black tux. There was one of them kissing at the alter too. There was a page of photographs with my mother pregnant, one caption reading 'Carmen and Eleazer Swan with unborn Isabella'. I ran my finger over their smiling faces and took it all in.

My mother was wearing a pair of slim-fitting jeans and a light green t-shirt that stretched over her stomach. My father wore a blue, checkered shirt with a pair of grey jeans, and had his arm wrapped around my mother's waist. Both were smiling happily, and my mother had one hand resting on her stomach. On me.

I turned the page, and saw a few pictures of a tiny me, playing with my parents and, in one case, Sarah Black. I let the tears fall as I slipped the photo album back in the folder and pulled out an envelope. I ran my finger under it, breaking the seal in the process. I pulled the piece of paper out, and saw that it had been written by hand, in sapphire-blue ink.

***

_Dear Bella,_

_ Everybody knows who you are, and everybody knows what happens when you leave the school. But nothing's ever done. I've been working up the courage to write this for a while, and I expect it will take some time for me to summon up the nerve to slip it into your locker, but I swear, you'll get it. Well, you obviously have, if you're reading it. _

_ I find my thoughts travelling to you a lot. I can't help it, they just do. Sometimes, I fall asleep wondering what's happening to you, wondering what the Blacks are doing to you. Nobody really understands why they treat you the way they do, but I guess you already know that. My family and I want nothing more than to snitch on them, to explain everything, to get you out of there, but we're scared. Everyone is. Billy's so unhinged now. Nobody wants to risk their necks to help a single girl._

_ Mum dug those pictures out from Dad's old photo albums. They were friends with your parents, and I thought you might want something of them. I can't imagine growing up without my parents, but I know I'd want something to hold on to. _

_ For all the time it's taken me to write this, I don't know what to say. Everything seems too lame. I guess you feel like that a lot hu? _

_ I can't risk my family by speaking to you at school, but if you need to talk, or to rant, or to cry, then you can email me: leahclearwater _

_ I know it's not enough, not by a long shot, but I had to do something, anything, to make you feel a bit better about all of this. So yeah, I hope you're surviving down there, and I wish I could help you more._

_ Leah Clearwater_

***

For a moment, I just stared at the letter, before promptly bursting into tears. I didn't even know Leah. She was in the year above me, but she seemed like a nice enough girl. Her brother, Seth, was a right laugh, but of course I could never join in. I didn't have a computer, needless to say, but I did know where Leah's locker was. So, with a slightly lighter heart, I sat down on my bed with a pen and some paper, and began composing a letter to Leah Clearwater.

It was the first of many good things to come in the next few years.

***

Edwards POV

I scowled at the scenery as Carlisle and Esme drove us through Forks to our new home. It rained all the time in this place, and I hated the rain. I'd just been living in Phoenix, where it was sunny and warm, and then the folks dragged us all to Forks, the rainiest place of freaking planet earth. You can imagine my exuberance.

"Edward?" Carlisle's voice snapped me out of my trance. I scowled at him and then at the rain gushing from the heavens. Yeah, life seriously rocked. I was moving to a small town, with a tiny population. There was no privacy in a small town, which suited Alice, my biological sister, just fine. Me? Not so much.

People knew everything about you, and everything about what you do. There's no way to escape gossip in a town like Forks, and it was to be expected that there would be at least one woman that spread pointless rumours, just for the hell of it, most of which wouldn't be true.

I'd heard all about small-town-life from Charlie Masen, Carlisle's best buddy. It was because of Charlie that we decided to move to this stupid place. I correct myself, that Mom and Dad decided to move to this stupid place. Charlie was in my good books already.

Mom and Dad had adopted the rest of the kids that made up the mob that was the Cullen family. Alice and I were their biological kids, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale were brother and sister, a year and a bit apart. Emmett McCarthy was also adopted, and he was the joker of the family. Rose and Emmett were both sixteen, and they'd announced their relationship the previous summer. I sensed a budding romance growing between Alice and Jasper too, but they were too cowardly to give it a shot. It suited me just fucking fine.

"Edward?" Carlisle snapped again, "Will you listen? Stop scowling. We're going to a new place, and we're going to love it here."

"Like fuck we will," I muttered under my breath. Jasper chuckled next to me, and we exchanged a grimace. Neither of us wanted to move, and Rose was counted into that group. Alice and Emmett however, were sporting great big bloody grins, far too excited. Esme turned round in her seat and totally busted me.

"Language Edward Cullen," she said sternly, "Watch it or I'll wash your mouth out with straw."

Emmett snickered from behind me, and I whirled round, ready to punch his face. Forget about him being twice my size and three times as strong. Emmett was just inhuman.

"Oh shut up Emmett," I snarled, "It's not like we don't have to listen to you curse and swear, before running your hands all over Rose."

"Edward!" Carlisle warned me, his tone stern. That only succeeded in pissing me off even more, but I knew if I said anything else I was dead meat, so I sat and seethed in silence, returning my scowl to the 'picturesque' scenery I was passing. Trust Alice to make this town seem nice.

"What is wrong with you Edward?" Esme asked, "Why are you so against moving here?"

"I've told you why."

"I still don't understand. You're not usually one to let things like that get the better of you."

"No, I'm not. But I'm leaving behind everything! All my friends, everything! My life was in Phoenix, and then after one phone call, it's up and move. How the hell d'you think we feel?"

I was a little startled by what I'd just done. I'd never snapped at my mother in that way before, and my outburst was met by silence. It was always Carlisle I blew up at, and even that was quickly sorted with an apology.

"Sorry, that was inappropriate," I mumbled, my cheeks flushing a light pink. Esme shook her head, smiling slightly as she squeezed my knee.

The rest of the journey passed in a similar way, but I was silent. Just because I was silent, didn't mean I didn't still hate the thought of moving here. If looks could kill, I'd be in prison for murdering a few passers-by. Carlisle turned down a small lane, and then pulled up before a magnificent house. I was blown away by its beauty.

I don't know what I had expected, but it definitely wasn't this. This house was timeless, graceful, and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration.

Carlisle and Esme grinned at me, and Esme motioned me inside. I knew she'd spent a long time on this house, her being an architectural designer and all, and I wanted to see the inside. Hell, if this was the kind of place I got to live in, maybe this whole thing wasn't so bad.

The inside was even more surprising, less predictable, than the exterior. It was very bright, very open and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most the floor to create a wide open space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and beyond the shade of the cedars, the lawn stretched bare to a wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white.

I stared at the house in awe, and turned to my siblings, who were all standing stock-still, their mouths hanging open. Alice let out a squeal, breaking the silence, and Emmett whooped. I couldn't be quite that happy, even if I did have a massive, gorgeous house, but that didn't mean I couldn't appreciate it's beauty.

"Like it?" Esme asked.

"Love it!" Alice squealed.

"It's awesome!" Emmett said, at exactly the same time. Esme laughed at their exuberance and turned to the rest of us.

"What do you think?"

"I love the house Mom," I said quietly, "But that doesn't mean I want to move here."

Carlisle pursed his lips and shot me a significant glare. It was a 'don't upset your mom' look, but what the hell? It was true, I didn't want to move to this stinking town. I looked across at Rose and Jasper, who were looking around silently, their faces appreciative of the design. Rose looked over at me and rolled her eyes when Alice and Emmett started discussing the opportunities in Forks. I inclined my head and let out a sigh. Jasper cocked an eyebrow at the pair, and let out a snort when they said something about Forks being better than Phoenix in one way or another.

My internal musings were interrupted by a loud knock at the door. Apparently the doorbell didn't work. Carlisle walked towards the door briskly and threw it open. I heard greetings and heard the name 'Charlie' more than once. So this was the famous Charlie Masen, the guy that I hated. He'd made us move to this place.

"Hello again Esme. Hey kids!" he said brightly. Too brightly.

"Hi Charlie! Kids, this is Chief Masen," Esme said, hugging the bloke.

"Yeah. I know your Dad from college, so when I heard he was looking to move, I told him all about Forks."

I had to admit, Charlie seemed like a nice enough guy. As he conversed with my family, I realised that it wasn't his fault I hated this place. Sure, it was his fault we moved here, but I was being a grumpy teenager about the move. He didn't really deserve my hostility. He offered us some food made by his wife, and Esme excepted graciously. I shot him a tentative smile, which he returned.

"So, Edward, you like fishing?" he asked with a grin. It was well-known that Carlisle loved fishing, and to be honest, I hated it. It was really dull, and even when you caught things, you usually had to put them ack because of one law or another. I guessed that Charlie liked fishing too. At least Carlisle would have someone to go with now, as oppose to dragging his sons along. The girls tended to squeal and make a fuss, so Carlisle didn't make them come. He didn't seem to realise that they did it just to get out of it all.

"If I'm honest Chief, no."

"Charlie, son," he corrected me, "Ah well. I guess I got your Dad hu? And there's a guy that lives in La Push, Harry, that I go with sometimes. Fancy a trip next weekend Carlisle?"

And so they got talking about fishing. After a few minutes, the rest of us were all bored to death, having finished the casserole. It was certainly an interesting casserole, quite spicy, but I didn't have a clue what it was. I can't say it was anywhere near as good as Esme's cooking.

Jasper offered to wash up, probably to relieve himself of the boredom of listening to two guys chat about fishing. Esme motioned to us, and told Carlisle she was showing us the rest of the house. There was a library that drew me in instantly, and bedrooms for each of us and several spare. There was a study for Carlisle and a pretty garden for Esme. There were several bathrooms and an enormous walk-in wardrobe for Alice.

My own bedroom was fantastic. One wall had been replaced with glass, giving me a fantastic view of the forest, one wall was taken up by rows and rows of shelves, filled randomly with all my music and DVDs. The bottom three were taken up by a load of books, and there were a few shelves of space. A huge king-sized bed sat towards the back, with a modern-looking black glass desk to the right.

I turned to Esme and thanked her profusely. She told me she had another surprise, and led me downstairs to another room. I assumed my siblings were checking out their own rooms, as they had disappeared by the time I'd taken in the gorgeous room that I could call my own.

Esme stood in the doorway and said to take a look. I peered in, and saw a magnificent grand piano, shiny and black, with a plush stool sitting before it. I sat down and lifted the lid, running my fingers over the ivory keys. Without thinking, I began playing a random piece, composed on the spot. The notes flowed effortlessly, and I realised I was playing a piece about Esme. I didn't know where it'd come from, but I liked it. I'd never composed my own piece before, and when I'd finished, I turned to Esme, who had tears in her eyes.

"Hermoso," she whispered, smiling. I was studying Spanish at school, so I could translate easily enough. Beautiful. I blushed slightly, and submitted to her embrace.

"Thanks," I said, my voice slightly muffled by her shoulder.

"I know you'll miss Phoenix, but I do think you'll love Forks in the end," she said.

I said nothing. I doubted I would love it instantly, but who knew? Carlisle hollered for us to help unpack our stuff, so with a sigh, I untangled myself from my mother and headed out to the hallway where my family stood, including Charlie.

Well the house was great, but would school be the same story?


	4. Chapter 4-Rape and Girlfriends

**A/N **

**Hey there!**

**Chapter 4 here, and it will be partly in Bella's POV and partly in Edward's POV. This is set about a year after the last chapter, so our soon-to-be love-birds are sixteen. Just a quick warning, this part consists of rape, so if you don't want to read it, feel free to skip. The section in-between five stars is the rape scene. Enjoy!**

**Lucy xX**

***

Bella's POV

I smiled at the letter in my locker, and sneaked a glance across at Leah. I totally busted her looking at me, and she shot me a small smile, which I returned. Although we'd been exchanging letters for over a year now, we'd still never spoken. I couldn't blame her though, who wanted to be in Billy's bad book?

I threw my stuff into my bag and shut my locker, a small smile plastered onto my face. As I stepped out into the howling December winds, I drew my threadbare coat further around me and folded my arms across my chest in an attempt to keep warm. I watched Jacob and his friends leaving the school, wrapped in warm clothes, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the arctic conditions.

Snow began to fall from the sky, so I walked quicker, trying to get home before it settled. Being me, I just ended up falling flat in my face, pulling painfully at my more recent injuries. I sighed, picking myself up, and continued home much more slowly, treading carefully as I tried not to fall on the quickly settling snow. Typical December weather.

I turned left instead of the more direct right, trying to avoid the hoards of students that walked down that road. Goosebumps erupted over my skin as a particularly cold blast of wind hit me, and I pulled my hood of my coat over my head, trying to keep myself a little warmer. I failed.

"Bella!" someone called, their voice soft. Surprised, I spun round to see Leah Clearwater, watching me with a wary expression. I said nothing, wondering why she was speaking to me. Had she forgotten about Billy's latest threat?

She took a step towards me.

"It's ok. Nobody ever comes down here," she said quietly, "You can talk if you want."

"Thank you Leah. For everything."

She smiled.

"You're welcome Bella. As I said, I had to do something."

"I appreciate it."

"I just wanted to say hi. Oh! Mom got you this," she said, holding out a medium-sized, rectangular parcel.

"You didn't have to. I can't except this, Bil-" I began, but she cut me off.

"Please take it. Pretend it's from school of you like," she shrugged, "It's just a book."

"Thank you," I said quietly, taking the carefully-wrapped book. She smiled and we said our goodbyes. I walked home briskly, trying not to fall over, the book tucked away in my rucksack. I tripped on the front steps but managed to right myself and unlock the door without inflicting any further damage on myself.

Nobody was in the living room when I got home, which was strange in itself. I headed upstairs, unsure of what to do. Billy or Jacob always told me what to do when I entered the house, so I was more than a little confused. I pushed open the door to my bedroom gingerly and nearly had a heart attack when I saw Billy in there, sitting in his wheelchair.

He grinned wickedly at me when I entered and told me to put my bag down and take my coat off. I complied with his requests and stood before him, fiddling with my fingers nervously. His eyes raked up and down my body, and he tapped the arm of his wheelchair rhythmically.

"So Girl, you're sixteen now yes?"

I nodded, terrified.

"Take off your shirt!" he barked.

What the fuck? The guy was like, fifty-five or something! Was he really about to do this? Billy's hand came down on my cheek hard, three times, and I felt the blood trickle down my cheeks where his fingernail had caught my flesh. I pulled my shirt over my head quickly, and he smirked.

*****

"I'll leave it to you Jacob," Billy sneered. What? Jacob was fourteen years old for crying out loud! This had to be illegal in more ways than one, surely? Jacob walked into the room wearing just a pair of pants, and Billy wheeled himself out, shutting the door.

Jacob neared me and I took a step back, panic washing through me. He grabbed my hip and pulled me forwards, kicking my ankle painfully. I winced, but didn't let out a cry, knowing he'd hit me again if I did. Slowly, Jacob began to pull my jeans down, leaving me in my underwear.

I closed my eyes as he pulled off my bra and knickers, before letting out a groan. He was groaning now? Ugh. Jacob ordered me to open my eyes, and I did so, scared of the consequences if I didn't obey. He was standing stark naked in front of me, and he began to kiss me roughly, shoving his tongue in my mouth. I didn't resist, for it would be pointless. I was malnourished and small, and Jacob was well-fed and built, despite his young years.

Jacob threw me back onto the bed, pulling my legs apart, I'd never felt dirtier in my life. He tore through me, causing me to scream out in pain. He groaned in pleasure as he pounded, sucking on my neck. I cried out in torture again, my body aching. I felt blood trickle down between my legs, and I began to whimper, pain flooding every nth of my body.

Jacob groaned, moaned and grunted as he committed his deed, before crying out and pulling out and finishing all over me. He pulled himself away from me and I threw up all over the floor, my body heaving. I gasped as I emptied any scraps of food in me onto the floor, and Jacob smirked.

*****

"Clean it up," he ordered. I nodded helplessly but stayed in my crumpled heap on the sick and blood covered floor of my bedroom. Had that actually just happened? Had I really just been raped? Yes, I answered myself.

I stood up, shaking, and headed to the bathroom. Billy smirked at me outside and told me I had five minutes. I locked the door and showered quickly, before throwing my clothes back on. I unlocked the door again and saw Billy checking his watch. He followed me back into my bedroom and locked me in.

I let the tears fall as I mopped up the blood and the sick. My blood and sick. I felt nauseous again at the thought, and leant my head against the cold window pane, willing the contents of my stomach to say where they were. I finished my task and climbed into bed, shivering, not bothering to undress.

I had just been raped by a fourteen-year-old boy.

***

Edward's POV

I had to admit, Forks wasn't all that bad. My first week at Forks High had been awful, but my family and I soon settled in. We mainly kept to ourselves, but I had managed to find myself a gorgeous girlfriend.

When I say gorgeous, I don't mean she was pretty, I mean she was gorgeous. Tanya Denali, daughter of Bree and Riley and sister to Irina and Kate. Tanya had wavy, strawberry blonde hair and startling blue eyes. Her nails were always manicured and painted bright red, her skin soft and tanned, almost certainly spray-tanned.

Now you're thinking, 'she's a fake pretty' and yes, I guess she is, but regardless of that, I liked her. Sure, she wasn't going to be my lifelong girl, but I was comfortable in my relationship with her. One of the bad things about Tanya, was that she expected me to take her on really expensive dates, and buy her expensive gifts. Sure, I knew I came from money, but occasionally I wondered if she was a gold-digger.

My family hated my choice in girlfriend, and they didn't bother to hide it. My mother spat her name, and Alice wrinkled her nose when she was mentioned, avoiding her whenever she came round. I suppose I should have taken my twin's opinion into closer consideration, as she was usually right, but I didn't. Rose referred to her as 'that bitch', regardless of who was listening, and even Esme didn't reprimand her for her language. Jasper avoided her, and never spoke of her or to her, and Emmett poked jokes at her, laughing at her expense. Carlisle didn't openly portray his dislike of her, but he spoke to her with that forced politeness.

Nobody, myself included, liked her parents. They were rude and cold, and showered their daughters with expensive presents. Irina and Kate were different stories entirely. Irina was quiet, sweet, and clever, and could crack a good joke when she was n her comfort-zone. She was pretty and quite shy. She looked similar to Tanya, just minus the fake stuff. Kate was outgoing, fun, and witty. It was impossible not to like Kate Denali. She too looked much like Tanya, but her face held that mischievous glint. She and Rose shared the 'no bull' attitude, and she shared Emmett's crazy sense of humour, though she was a little less inappropriate, and far more tactful in her approach to people. Kate was trustworthy, and a great friend.

My phone rang, snapping me out of my reminiscing of past kisses and dates. I picked it up and held it to my ear.

"Hey babe," I greeted Tanya.

"Hi Eddie."

I groaned. I hated it when she called me that, and it served only to piss my off big-time.

"Please don't call me that. What is it you wanted?"

"Sorry Eddie," she said, completely ignoring what I'd just said, "I just wondered if you wanted to go out somewhere tomorrow? Surprise me!"

"Tanya, why don't you take me somewhere for once? I always pay. I know that's traditional and all, but I'd like to be surprised for once."

I could imagine her pout.

"What?" she screeched.

"Sorry. Just a suggestion," I mumbled. Now she'd flick her hair, I thought.

"Take me somewhere Eddie. Sorry, I have to go!" she said, hanging up.

"Bye," I muttered. I flopped back onto my bed and sighed. Tanya had started being bitchy recently, and it was annoying me. A knock sounded at my door, and Rose threw the door open, walking in with a smirk on her face.

"Talking to Queen Bitch?" she asked.

"No. I was talking to Tanya," I snapped.

"Hey! Sorry Edward, I can't help hating your girlfriend!" she said, raising her hands in surrender.

"What d'you want Rose?"

"Is that any way to talk to your elder?" she joked.

"Sorry. I'm in a crappy mood," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger.

"I can see that. I'm just warning you not to go downstairs. Alice and Jazz are making-out hot and heavy," she grinned. Right on cue, there was a yell from downstairs.

"Get a room you two!" Emmett bellowed. We both burst into laughter. I cold picture the scene perfectly as Emmett busted the two of them 'getting it on' as was Emmett's favourite phrase. Rose had an enormous grin on her face as we listened to her guy bust the two lovebirds. I remembered Emmett and I busting Mom and Dad kissing one morning. The look on Emmett's face was hilarious, and the folks were so embarrassed. Dad couldn't look either of us in the eye for weeks.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Rose asked, poking me in the ribs.

"Emmett and I busting Mom and Dad."

"That was freaking hilarious Edward!" she chuckled.

"Sure was," I grinned.

We spent the next half an hour chatting about stuff, before Alice and Jazz came in, followed by Emmett. I decided that my bedroom was too crowded, so we headed to the kids' living room and carried on our conversation for a while. After not so long, Rose and Emmett couldn't keep their hands off each other.

"Get a room!" Jasper and I cried in unison. Rose shot us a glare, before continuing. With faces of disgust, we moved into Alice's bedroom, trying to find some peace. Obviously, before long Alice and Jazz were getting it on too. I heard Mom and Dad come home, and they told us they'd be n their room. Ugh. I so didn't want to see them at it. Yuck.

I left Alice and Jasper to their making-out and disappeared into the music room, my fingers gliding over the keys for hours. It was five o'clock by the time I was bored, so I grabbed my phone and went downstairs to the kitchen. I sent off a quick text to Tanya and asked if she was ready to go. I got a 'yes' back, so I left a note in the kitchen and walked over to her house.

When I knocked on the door, I was greeted by a dressed-up Tanya peppering kisses all over my face as she clung to me. I hated it when she was in a clingy mood. With a sigh, I lead her out.


	5. Chapter 5-New Kid

**A/N**

**Yup! Another chapter! Love me? I thought so! I'm having a writing spree, but unfortunately the weekend finishes in a few hours, and it's back to school for another six weeks. Then I'm on summer break! Woot woot! Anyway, the famous meeting of Edward and Bella will be in this chapter, although it certainly won't be love at first sight! I hear you all going 'What? How?'. Well my dear readers, the only way to find out is to read! Enjoy, and please leave your thoughts in the comments!**

**Lucy xX**

Bella's POV

Coming out of my bedroom during the summer holidays after a wildly painful rape-session one day, Billy told me to come downstairs. My body ached, and I desperately waned to tell someone, but I was never allowed out, and I was legally under Billy's care. I spent my days locked in my room, and I couldn't even write to Leah about it. Sure, the book she'd given me was great, I'd fallen in love with 'Wuthering Heights', but that didn't stop the Blacks.

"We are out of beer girl," he barked, handing me some money to go get beer for him.

"Um, Billy? The Res. shop is closed," I whispered, waiting for the smack.

I winced as his hand came down on my face, and I felt a bruise forming already. More make-up.

"Then go into Forks you bitch!" he screeched in my face.

I nodded, and headed out to Billy's car, taking the road to Forks. It wasn't until I was driving that I realised how much my body hurt, particularly my ribs. As I was crossing the border between the two towns, I remembered that I'd forgotten to put make-up on. I cursed, and wrapped my arm around my throbbing ribs. I'll just have to keep my head down, I thought.

After grabbing and paying for the beers, I returned to the car quickly, carrying a load of them under one arm, the other still holding my chest. I had gained some odd looks from people in the shop, but none so odd as that which I got from a man walking to the car next to me. I nodded to him, and threw the beers into my boot. Reluctantly, I ignored his shouting, and drove off, back to the hell house.

I knew who he was. Charlie Masen, the chief of police in Forks. Why didn't I tell him? I don't honestly know, but I didn't want anybody hurt by the Blacks, least of all a good-seeming guy like the Chief. His wife was nice too, although I'd only met her once or twice when I was tiny. I just remember liking it when she held me while my mother got something or other.

When I got home, Billy and Jacob were debating something, and neither seemed happy. As soon as I opened the door, Billy snatched the beers and Jacob grabbed me, using me as his personal punch-bag again. I cried out in pain as Jacob's fist came onto my wrist with an ear-splitting crack. Tears trickled down my face as Jacob held me still by holding my waist with his fingernails, as he continued to pummel me. I felt blood running down my side as his fingernails dug into my flesh, and as I wriggled, they left an enormous gash down my side.

"Jacob!" Billy barked, "Enough!"

Jacob snarled and punched me once more, before releasing me. Well, he actually threw me on the floor, making me land on the wrist I was sure he'd just broken, but whatever. It was the same thing in the Blacks' house.

"Girl, the other Elders," he sneered, "Don't think it is wise to keep you here any longer. Something about the Clearwater girl."

Well crap. It seemed that someone had caught us during one of our quick meetings after school. Why was life so unfair? What had I done to deserve this? And Leah as well? I hated myself for getting her caught up in my mess, and swore that I'd rip up the letter I'd begun writing and scatter it over the forest floor.

"Anyway, the bastards think we should send you to Forks High. If somebody inspects the school, you'll be well away. And you have a sense of," he hesitated, "Normality in your life. So that's where you're going to walk to and from every day after the summer, ok? Well, you don't have a choice, but you get the fucking point. Go buy yourself some new clothes," he said suddenly, tossing me ten dollars.

I looked up at him and he glared at me.

"Go then bitch! Before I change my mind!" he roared, slapping me.

I scurried to my feet and headed out of the door. The sun was blaring down on us for once, and I revelled in the feeling of it on my skin. I was never usually let out, so it was a bit of a novelty. Writing that down makes it sound even more depressing. I hurried to the car and clambered in.

I returned home with a second-hand pair of jeans, two cheap t-shirts and two pairs of pants. Not too shabby with just ten dollars I guess. I handed the remaining money back to Billy, and winced when he slapped me, seemingly just for the fun of it.

I had gained many bruises by the end of the evening, and Jacob had raped me twice. My wrist was hurting like crazy, and my rib was still painful. Breathing hurt, moving hurt, and the evening's cooking and cleaning was agony.

I cried myself to sleep that night, surrounded by my own blood from the earlier rape session. The only comfort I got, was that I was starting Forks High in exactly a week, and would be out of the hell house I lived in for a little longer. But I could never make friends, because it would endanger my friends to Billy and Jacob's brutal treatment.

I sighed. If I could just survive this year, then I would legally be an adult, and I could go to work somewhere, and save up for a college fund. I sat straight up in bed. Work. I could work, and give some of it to the Blacks, thereby getting myself some money, and them a bit. I would negotiate in the morning, but I was comforted a little by that thought.

That morning, I did negotiate with Billy, and it was agreed that I would give him a quarter of whatever I earned, so long as I was under his roof, and doing his chores. I knew I needed to wait for my eighteenth birthday before I could move out, but I was seventeen in a few weeks. So what the hell? It wasn't so much longer, and I'd survived this long, how bad could another year or two be? I closed my eyes, feeling every single injury I was currently sporting, and groaned in pain. The audible groan earned me another rape and beating. I answered my own question.

Very bad.

Edward's POV

"Where the fuck were you yesterday?" Tanya snapped.

"I was hanging out with Emmett and Jazz, Tanya. You have a problem with that?" I asked my girlfriend of nearly two years, angrily in the middle of the parking lot.

"Maybe," she sniffed.

"Oh stop being so fucking selfish," Rose said from the doorway, "You're just acting like a whiny bitch."

"What do you know?" my girlfriend sneered.

"I know that I'm head cheerleader, and you're not."

"Whatever," Tanya said, flicking her hair, "You're just jealous that I'm great and you're not."

"Sure I am," Rose rolled her eyes. I had to admit, the show-down that would surely happen between the two girls at some point in the future would be terrifying. No way was I taking sides. If I took Tanya's side, I'd be betraying my family, and if I took Rose's side, Tanya would bitch to me and her followers about it for months. Yeah, I said followers. Tanya doesn't have friends.

"I'm going to make your very existence a misery this year," Tanya spat. If it wasn't Rosalie Hale, Miss No-Bull, that she had just insulted, I would have jumped to her defence. Luckily for Tanya, Rose was more than happy to defend herself. She wasn't intimidated in the slightest by Tanya.

"Yeah yeah yeah. It's all talk with you. You do whiny bitch really well, but you seriously need to work on your mean bitch." the girl had a point.

"Anyway!" I interrupted them before Tanya ended up clawing my sister, "Why do you mind if I hang out with my friends? It's not like we had a date."

"Because I want you Eddie," she whispered in a voice that was supposed to be seductive. She failed big-time. She leaned up and kissed me, and I kissed her back half-heartedly. I heard Rose make a noise of disgust before leaving to go to see Emmett, or grab her stuff for her next class.

"I'll see you later," I muttered as the bell rang.

I ignored Tanya for the rest of the day, having no desire to talk to her about anything, and I definitely didn't want to make-out with her, which was all she ever seemed to want to do, and I had to admit, it pissed me that she never wanted to do anything else.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice Alice come up next to me as I headed towards the parking lot at the end of the day. She always knew exactly what was wrong, and she seemed to know that I needed silence. We walked together in silence for a minute, before she turned to me, one eyebrow raised.

"Edward, I know you're a guy, and I know she's a sneaky bitch, but can you seriously not see how horrid she is to everyone?"

"What's she done now Alice?" I snapped, "Shouted?"

"Well she was being seriously horrible to Angela Webber, who, might I remind you, I like a lot. She was making her look like a fool in class, and I wanted nothing more than to knock her head off."

"I'll believe it when I see it. I know she can be difficult, but I've never seen this in action."

"Oh don't give me that crap Edward. Nobody likes her," Alice said, eyes blazing.

I opened my mouth to reply, when Alice cut me off.

"Save it."

Furious, I spun round and stormed off, heading to my car. Why did everyone hate my girlfriend so much? Did she really do all that stuff? I was so confused. Tanya, although clingy, seemed nice enough around me, but my entire family thought her a bitch, and other than her followers, girls and guys alike found her insufferable.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice the short brunette until I smashed into her. She staggered back a little, her brown hair matted and her face coated with make-up, as though she was trying to hide something. She winced slightly, but I was too angry to care if I'd hurt her.

"Watch where you're going," I hissed. She put her head down and scurried away, looking absolutely terrified of me. I sighed. Why was I such a jerk towards her? It was my own fault, and it seemed I must have hit her pretty hard, she had looked pained when i touched her. Rose was shooting me disapproving looks as I clambered into my car, and I had to admit, it was really pissing me off. Not just Rose, but Alice, Tanya, the brunette, and myself.

Why was life so complex?

"Oh come on Edward!" Emmett whined.

"For fucks sake Emmett!" I roared, "I will not play your shitty video games, and I'm not going to some slutty club tonight, so just leave me the hell alone!"

"Woah Edward, I didn't realise you had the balls to do that," Rose said from the doorway. I shot her a glare and tugged at my hair hard, trying to take out my anger out on the dead skin cells rooted into my scalp. I was beyond pissed at the moment, and the stress of everything seemed to be getting to me. Not that that was any excuse of course.

"Sorry Em," I mumbled.

"Nah. It's cool Ed, I shouldn't have begged you like that," he said nonchalantly. How could he be so calm about everything? Well, replied a small voice in the back of my head, he doesn't have a girlfriend that constantly whines and bitches if she isn't taken to the most expensive restaurant, or bought the most expensive jewellery. I sighed.

"Uh, bye then?" Emmett said, posing it more as a question as he backed out of my room.

I picked up my book and turned my music up full-blast, making sure the door was shut as the music drowned out all conscious thought except those of the book in my hand. I shut out all thoughts of Tanya and my family, focusing on the tale of sci-fi and mysterious love before me. It was, however, less than half an hour later that someone else knocked on my door.

"What?" I snapped, regretting it instantly as Jasper walked in.

"Sorry. Mom sent me up to 'calm' you," he scoffed. I smiled. Jasper was the most charismatic of all my family, and knew what I needed to hear, what I wanted to hear, and whether or not those things would help my situation at all. I loved him for that, and I found myself going to him for advice about 'guy' stuff.

"Not fond of that idea," I said.

"I doubted you would be," he said.

There was silence for a moment, and I took the time to turn down my music which was currently blaring from the speakers on the left-hand side of my room. The second I did, all thoughts of all that other drama going on in my life returned. I groaned and flopped back on my bed.

"Can I give you some advice?" Jasper asked quietly.

"I have a feeling you're about to," I snarked. Being Jasper, he ignored my rude remark and continued.

"Seriously, ditch Tanya. I know she hides her true colours from you, but do you really think we'd all decide to spill lies about her just to break you two up? Especially if it wasn't true? She's a nasty piece of work Edward, and I seriously think you should reconsider everything. Take a step back if you will, see how she reacts, how it goes."

I said nothing. Could I do that? Tanya was my girlfriend of nearly two years, and I like her. I'd never seen her be as bitchy and horrible as everyone said she was, and how could she hide it from me for that long? It didn't seem possible. Then again, Rose often said she was a sneaky bitch. Then there was the fact that I was comfortable in a relationship with her; I didn't want to break up with her.

"I can't," I said, "I don't want to."

"I get that, but don't be surprised if you walk in on her throwing insults at some innocent soul," Jasper sighed, his face sad as he stood up and left my bedroom.

Well great.


	6. Chapter 6-Forks High School

Exactly a month later, I was walking out of the Black's front yard to Forks High. I remembered route from when Billy had enrolled me, although it was pretty obvious anyway, and was all-to-soon pulling up in the parking lot. I was pleased to notice that nobody owned an expensive car, and most were older. The nicest here was a shiny sliver Volvo, and even that stood out from the other cars. Heck, I'd do a lot for a damn car, I had to walk all the way from the Res.

I stepped into the reception and shivered, the warmth of the room thawing out my freezing body. I just had to live in the coldest down in Washington, didn't I? As I walked up to the desk, I tripped over thin air and had to grab the wall for support. I winced as the action pulled at my raw wounds, but I bared it for normality's sake.

"Can I help you?" asked the receptionist. Her name tag read Mrs. Cope, and she had to be into her fifties, maybe her sixties. She had several streaks of grey hair amongst the brown, and the lines on her face stood out significantly. She seemed to be one of those older people that wore tonnes of make-up. Foundation, blushed, mascara, bright red lip-stick... The list went on, some items I had no name for.

"I'm Isabella Swan, I'm supposed to be starting here today," I said quietly. She dug around in her desk for a moment before putting several pieces of paper on the desk; mostly leaflets I'd never read. She smiled at me and tapped away briskly on her sleek, black keyboard, before scanning the page and placing a padlock on top of the leaflets, plus a map of the school, and a schedule.

She proceeded to talk me through the best routes to all my classes, and informed me about parking, lunch and lockers. She then gave me a slip to have signed by each teacher, to be taken back to her at the end of the day.

"Have a nice day, dear," she said. I smiled at her and headed out of the reception and into the drizzling rain that fell from the looming grey clouds overhead. I wrapped my arms around my torso in an attempt to keep out the freezing conditions, but it helped little. I stepped into the school with a slight sense of relief, though the apprehension set in about then.

New school, new people. People that new nothing of me, and people that Billy couldn't order around. Maybe, just maybe, I could actually make a friend or two at Forks High? Sure, I wasn't the most sociable of teenage girls, and I didn't like shopping or dancing, but that didn't matter so much...right? Yeah, I thought sarcastically, whatever floats your boat Bella.

I took a glance at my timetable and then map, recalling the route shown to me by Mrs. Cope to get to my English class. I hurried through the corridors, keeping my head down as I was used to. Apparently, Forks High wasn't as punctual as the school on the Res. had been, as the teacher, Mr. Banner, wasn't in the classroom, and the seats were still half-empty.

I felt very out-of-place in the classroom full of people that had known each other since kindergarten, being the new girl who they had probably spent the last three weeks gossiping about. Little did I know that I was the topic of conversation amongst girls and boys alike since I'd been enrolled the month before.

At that moment, Mr. Banner walked in so I was saved from embarrassing myself, as I undoubtedly would have done if I'd stayed rooted to the spot a minute longer. I walked towards him hesitantly and introduced myself, holding up the slip a little. He handed me a few books and then scrawled his signature on my slip. He told me to sit next to a girl with wavy brown hair, swept back into a high ponytail. One look at her had me groaning inside. Chatty type. Never good for someone like me.

"Hi! Isabella Swan, right?" she asked. Definitely chatty.

"Bella, yeah," I corrected her in a mumble.

"Bella it is!" she beamed, "I'm Jessica, Jessica Stanley. I know the ins and outs of this school, so if you need anything..." she trailed off and gestured silently to herself as the lesson began.

I stood up and Mr. Banner signed my slip, not making me introduce myself. I blushed as I felt the eyes of the students on me anyway, so introducing myself would turn me into a pile of goo. Red goo. The class was relatively easy, and I covered some of the stuff at the Res. anyway. Mr. Banner told us what we'd be doing over our junior year, then handed out books. By the time he'd finished, the bell rung, and I was thankful not to have any homework. Yet.

I stood up and piled my books into my bag, trying to ignore the strange glances I was getting - probably relating to the ridiculous amount of make-up on my face. Jessica walked out with me, and I was able to let her carry the conversation, nodding and agreeing as she spoke.

"What d'you have next?" she asked.

"Calc."

"That sucks," she replied.

"I'm terrible at math. Wish me luck surviving," I sighed as we parted.

"See you later!" she called, waving to me.

I turned round and was immediately assaulted by two girls. The first seemed to be the leader of the two, and the more dominant. She had long, dyed blond hair, set in loose curls. Her eyes were a cruel, startling blue, and her tanned skin coated with almost as much make-up as mine, although she pulled it off far better. Her clothes hugged her body, which curved in all the right places. She was tall, and had that hourglass shape, and long, stick-thin legs. Unlike myself. I was ample in the chest department, and my legs were neither long nor thin. Sure, I wasn't fat, but this girl would put your average model to shame.

The second was slightly shorter, but only by a centimetre or two. She had long, fiery red hair that fell down to her mid-back in curly waves. Her eyes were a sharp green, and her face was also covered in make-up. Her skin was much paler than the first girl's, but had a much healthier glow to it. Her nails were perfectly manicured and painted a shade of dark red. She too had a perfect body, and I felt a slight surge of jealously.

The first girl gripped my arm and introduced them.

"I'm Tanya Denali, and this is Victoria Hunter," she jabbed her finger at her friend, "And basically, I rule this school."

"I'm Bella Swan," I said quietly, disliking them already. They were probably cheerleaders, and almost certainly dated a couple of hot footballers.

"Well Bella, we saw you talking to Stanley earlier," Victoria began, sneering on Jessica's surname.

"And we thought we should point you in the right direction. You don't want to be mixing with the wrong sort," Tanya said, her smile sweet. I decided to steal the line from Harry Potter, although I doubted it would sound as good coming from shy, lousy Bella Swan.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks."

Their faces fell to glares.

"Bad choice bitch," Tanya said, before turning on her heel and stalking off. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and continued on my way to calc, remembering the route from my glance at the map that morning. Just before I walked into the room, I was greeted by a boy with greasy blond hair and soft blue eyes. I had to admit, he reminded me a little of a dog.

"Hey! I'm Mike Newton. You're Bella Swan right?" he asked, before pounding me with questions. I managed to avoid the majority of them, instead I had to listen to him tell me his very dull life-story. You'd think a guy got the message when the person you're talking to looks bored out of their mind, but oh no.

Then again, said a snide voice in my head, you should be thankful there are people making the effort at all.

We entered the classroom, and Mike sat down in his seat, shooting me an apologetic glance. I took an empty seat near the front, hoping that nobody would come up and say that it was their seat. My prayers were answered as the teacher walked in, holding a load of calc books under one arm.

He was tall, grey-haired and balding. He was probably in his early sixties, and the lines were quite prominent all over his face. He introduced himself as 'sir' which we all sniggered at. He seemed to be the kind of guy that stood for no nonsense, despite the fact that he couldn't be much over five foot. Depressing for a guy, huh?

Just as he began to explain what we'd be doing over the year, the door burst open, and in walked the biggest guy I'd ever seen. Honestly, he had to be closer to six foot than seven. His body rippled with muscle, and he looked like the kind of guy you didn't want to fight with. despite all of that, his eyes held a sense of mischief, and I had a feeling he'd be a great laugh... If you were friends with him. I assumed he was a footballer.

"Sorry sir!" he called loudly, seeming to enjoy causing havoc, "I got held up."

"I don't appreciate tardiness Mr. McCarthy," 'sir' said curtly.

"Yessir. Sorry sir," he said, and walked towards the desks that lined the classroom. He frowned suddenly, his brow creasing. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the teacher.

"Problem McCarthy?"

"This isn't the senior math class, is it?" he asked grumpily.

"No! Get to your class before I give you a detention!" he barked. Several of the boys laughed at his display, and I assumed he'd gone to the wrong class on purpose. There was no way he was actually the dumb.

***

The rest of the class passed in a blur, and I walked out with a girl named Angela that sat next to me. She had olive skin and ebony hair that fell down her back in a plait. Her eyes were dark, and she wore thick-rimmed glasses. She was tall and relatively skinny, though nowhere near as bad as Tanya and Victoria. She had the 'nerdy' appearance, which was something that suited her perfectly. I had to admit, I really liked her, and she pointed out people to me, helping me around. She had Spanish with me too, so we headed to the class together.

"You met Mike and Jessica huh?" she asked.

"Yeah. I have English with Jessica," I said.

"We hang out a lot. Have you met Eric or Tyler yet? Ben?" she asked, blushing slightly on the last name.

"No. Something interesting about Ben?" I asked with a slight smile. I was beginning to come out of my shell with Angela, although I doubted I'd be able to string a sentence together with the guy that had come into our math class. Angela had told me that he was called Emmett, and was a right idiot, and a great laugh to watch in the lunch hall.

"Yeah. Ben's my guy. Jessica has a major crush on Mike, but I don't think he feels the same way," she said.

"So there are four guys and only two girls in you group? Hardly seems fair," I commented.

"No. There's Lauren too. She's a bit of a slut to be honest, and she's obsessed with the guys on the football team. And there's you now, so we totally over-rule the guys," she said with a smirk.

My heart warmed to her a little bit. She already considered me part of her circle of friends, or mates, and she was subtly inviting me to spend lunch with her. I thanked her, and we continued to talk about the other students we passed in the corridors until we reached the Spanish classroom.

I found Spanish pretty easy, as we'd studied it in detail at the Res. and I'd picked up a lot from Leah, who spoke Spanish fluently. Angela, it seemed, hated Soanish nearly as much as I hated math. Therefore, we made a deal. She'd tutor me in math, and I'd help her with Spanish. It was a decent deal, and it seemed to seal our friendship. I was ridiculously happy that I'd managed to secure a friend, and another few people I could hang around with. Angela was awesome to show me the ins and outs of Forks High, too.

"Ugh," she said as we left, "This essay is impossible!"

I laughed.

"I'll help you," I promised her.

"Give me your phone," she said, holding out her hand as she dug around in her own bag. With a slight sense of pride, I pulled out my, wait for it, twelve dollar mobile. I handed it over to her, and she didn't comment on my chunky brick as she punched her number into my phone, before tapping mine into her sleek Nokia. Sure, it was no iPhone, but it was shiny black and slimmer than mine. Billy was such a tight bastard.

"Thanks!" I said as she handed me my phone.

"No problem, now you have no excuse not to help me with Spanish," she joked.

"And you have no excuse not to help me with math," I said, grinning.

We laughed and grabbed some lunch. I had to admit, my salad was brown, my fruit bruised, and my sandwich full of more mayonnaise than ham and tomato. According to Jessica, whom we sat down with, it was always like that.

A few minutes later, a boy with long, shaggy black hair and high cheekbones walked up to us, plonking himself by Jessica. His hair was greasy, and he hand a slightly pudgy face, much like that of Mike. He was just under six foot, or there abouts, and he regarded me with a smile. You could bet he was in the chess club or something.

"Hi! I'm Eric! So you're Isabella Swan yeah?" he asked.

"Bella," I corrected him with a slight sigh, "Nice to meet you too."

"Sorry. Hey! How d'you feel about joining the chess team?" he asked.

"Ugh-" I began, but I was saved by Angela.

"Give her a break Eric. Just say no Bella," she said, turning to me. I nodded weakly and began to eat my lunch. I'd had worse, so I couldn't complain. At least they actually fed you here, unlike Billy.

A moment later, three more people turned up. The first was a tallish guy with brown hair, and slightly tanned skin. He leant down and kissed Angela's cheek with a cocky grin, and I assumed he was Ben. This was confirmed when he introduced himself. Rather than assuming my name, he let me introduce myself. Thank God.

The second was hand-in-hand with a girl. He had dark skin and a mop of dark brown hair. From the state of it, he'd just been snogging the hell out of his girl. Taking a guess, I named them as Tyler and Lauren. I was right. Lauren had slick blond hair, stringy, and slightly wavy. It wasn't appealing. She was wearing a very revealing tank-top, and I couldn't help glancing at Angela as she sat down.

"I'm Lauren, this is Tyler," she sneered.

"Bella Swan," I said quietly.

Those were the only words exchanged between Lauren and myself, and I was glad to know that I had only gym with her. Jessica and Mike had gym with me too, but Angela, lucky devil, had history.

Then, another group entered the hall. I was transfixed, unsure about the people before me. A little pixie-like girl stood at the front, hand in hand with a curly blond-haired boy. The girl seemed to dance as she walked, and her skin, like mine, was pale, and her hair was jet black. There was a couple behind her, also hand in hand. One well-built guy with short brown hair, and a scary look to him, though his attitude seemed childish. I reckoned he could do a lot of damage if he got angry. I recognised him immediately as Emmett McCarthy. His girlfriend was stunningly beautiful, and looked like she'd walked out of a Hollywood fashion show. Her hair was long, and blond, falling down her back in stunning waves. Her eyes were a sharp blue, surveying her boyfriend. All of them wore nice clothes, expensive looking, and they stood out from the average stuff the rest of us wore.

"Who are they?" I asked, quietly.

Jessica snorted when she saw who I was looking at, and her chatty tone turned harder, almost like she had some personal grudge against them. Why, I had no idea. Then again, I was the newbie, why would I know?

"The Cullens. The pixie girl, that's Alice Cullen, and she's, like, totally weird. Her boyfriend, that always looks like the fate of the world is on his shoulders, he's Jasper Hale and he never says anything, like, ever. His sister is Rosalie Hale, the one who looks like a supermodel, and she's freaky too. She just, like, never speaks, to anyone except like, her boyfriend. The creepy muscular guy, that's Emmett McCarthy, he's Rosalie's boyfriend. Oh, and that," she said, pointing to a gorgeous guy with bronze hair and green eyes, "is Edward Cullen. Uh huh, he's dating Tanya," she said, speaking his name with a certain bitterness.

I saw Tanya Denali clinging onto his arm, whining about something or other. He looked slightly distracted, and I felt slightly sorry for the guy. Who chose Tanya as their girlfriend? I was just convincing myself that I wasn't falling for his good looks, when Jessica interrupted me. I didn't hear much if what she said. His high cheek bones, tanned, perfect skin, rippling muscles, tall figure, messy bronze hair and emerald green eyes held me transfixed.

Then I remembered he'd run into me in the parking lot...

"Don't even bother. Tanya has him wrapped around her finger. He's the only one that doesn't see what a bitch she is."

Sure enough, the other people he'd walked in with were either ignoring Tanya, or, in Rosalie's case, glaring at her. Who blamed them? I'd only met her once, and I'd already decided that Tanya was a complete bitch.

"The Cullens adopted Emmett and the Hales," Angela said, clearly not liking Jessica's explanation, "Dr. Cullen and Mrs. Cullen had Edward and Alice as twins, then they adopted the others. Rosalie and Emmett are in their senior year, and the rest in our year. They're good friends with Charlie and Renee Masen. Charlie is the Chief of police in Forks," Angela said.

I looked across at the group again, and my breath caught slightly when Edward Cullen looked in my direction. His green eyes snapped to mine, and they looked apologetic and...surprised? Confused? Upset? That was when I recognised him from the parking lot, and any crush on him I'd managed to gather from his holy-hotness disappeared. He'd been such a jerk. He told ME to watch where I was going. He ran into me, not vice versa.

"Bastard," Mike muttered under his breath.

"He has no manners," I said. All heads snapped to mine.

"Edward has a lot of things, a manners is one of them," Angela said.

"Plus money, looks and brains," Lauren said.

"Well he walked into me in the parking lot, and he told me, no, ordered me, to watch where I was going," I said. They all looked surprised, even Mike, who seemed to have some crazy grudge against Edward. Then again, so did Jessica. Perhaps he'd turned him down or something...

I was snapped from my thoughts by the bell, and I glanced at my timetable. I read off biology, and told the others what I had. Lauren had biology too, but she'd already gone. Ben gave me directions, and I bid them all goodbye as I trekked along the corridors to my classroom. A seating plan had been pinned to the door, and I took a look at it.

Holy shit! I was lab partners with Edward Cullen! Well wouldn't that make me popular, I thought with a sigh. Tanya would probably accuse me of stealing her boyfriend. That seemed like typical 'her' behaviour. I was glad to notice that neither her nor Victoria had biology now.

I was already blushing when I walked in and took my seat. Thankfully, Edward had not yet arrived, so I was able to trip and get my stuff out of my bag without him next to me, turning me into a bumbling idiot. He was hot, brainy and popular. That's what those kind of guys did to me.

Just as the second bell rang to signal the beginning of lessons, Edward walked it, looking the very picture of fury. He threw a glance at the timetable and sat down next to me, throwing his bag down and crashing his books onto his desk. He ran a hand through his tousled bronze hair and let out a sigh, clicking his pen.

"I'm Edward Cullen, I guess we're lab-partners," he said, forcing a smile.

"Uh, hi. I'm Bella Swan," I said, blushing. I looked up at him from under my eyelashes, and saw him watching me with a hint of something between frustration and annoyance. He looked away when I busted him watching me, and I stared at the front of my textbook, hiding behind my hair.

Dr. Schmitz walked in at that moment, and told us what we'd be doing this year. He also said that our lab-partners would be permanent. This earned a few groans, and a few cheers. If I was honest, I didn't know whether to be happy or sad about having Edward as my partner. I did, however, know that I could never pull him into the dangerous circle I lived in. The wrath of the Blacks would be saved for me alone.

We began our lab, identifying various parts of onion root cells. Edward offered me the microscope first, so I slipped in the slide and took a look.

"Prophase," I murmured.

"May I?"

I nodded, handing him the microscope. He glanced at it, before nodding his agreement. This continued back and fourth, until we finished filling in our sheet, with a few minutes to spare.

"Look, Bella, I'm sorry for being such a jerk when I ran into you in the parking lot. I had a lot on my mind. I'm sorry," he said, seeming sincere.

"It's fine," I mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"No, it's not," he sighed, "Where did you move from?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, uh, the Res., La Push."

"You live up there?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I just thought... Well I'd believed the Res. to be a native American residence," he said quietly, clearly not wanting to offend me.

"It is."

"Oh," Edward said, seeming to sense my reluctance to talk.

At last, the period ended, and Edward booked it from the room, leaving me standing there, dazed and confused. I remembered that I had gym next, and I let out a groan. I walked slowly towards the gym and entered. Coach Clapp gave me a kit, and told me I didn't need to play today, thank God. Anything that required more than the ability to walk over a flat surface without tripping over was not my cup of tea.

Unfortunately, Lauren was, once again, in my class. Ben was in the class too, as was Alice Cullen, the little one that looked like a pixie. I walked into the gym and watched them all get hot and sweaty, eternally grateful for the fact that I was escaping one day of hell. I'd have a broken wrist by the end of the next day, and not because I was being used as a punch-bag.

As I walked out of the parking lot, after bidding Angela and Ben au revoir, I thought over my day. All-in-all, it hadn't been that bad. I decided to send Leah a text. She'd written down her number at one point, and I wanted to talk to somebody that knew my past.

Perhaps, one day, I'd entrust a student of Forks High with my past...


	7. Chapter 7-Lab Partners

Edward's POV

Tanya's nails dug into my skin as she hung onto my arm, bitching and whining about something. Rose was glaring at her, but I just felt tired. If Tanya carried on like this, our relationship would be over before she could get down and beg. I glanced across and Jasper, who shot me an 'I told you so' look, and then at Alice, who had her arm linked through Jasper's as they chatted and laughed. Correction, as Alice chatted.

Why couldn't Tanya be like that? No so obsessed about other girls talking to me, or looking my way, and more interested in chatting with me. I wanted a girlfriend that liked me for me, and wasn't a clingy, possessive bitch. Of course, Tanya wasn't always a bitch, but over the last few months, she'd hardly let me speak to my sister.

I was paying little attention to my girlfriend as we walked over to our usual table. Quite often, Tanya dragged me off to sit with the other footballers and cheerleaders, but I was sitting with my family, whether she liked it or not. Rose sat down gracefully, blatantly ignoring Tanya, which served only to piss her off. Go Rose. Victoria came over, swaying her hips as she seated herself by Tanya. Internally, I groaned. Victoria was so weird. She followed Tanya around like a lost puppy, and she never left me alone either.

Whenever I sat with the other popular kids, i.e., Tanya's friends, Tanya would spend her time flirting with all the boys, and glaring at the girls if they so much as looked at me. Alice had called her a hypocrite, and Rose had said she was probably fucking all the guys on the team. I really hoped that wasn't the case, and I didn't really believe my girlfriend could be that low. Nobody else seemed to agree with me.

"Edward?" Tanya snapped.

"What?" I asked, running a hand through my hair in agitation.

"Were you listening to anything I just said?"

Busted.

"Sorry Tanya, I've got a lot on my mind," I said with a sigh. And I don't want to listen to you whine, I added in my head.

"I asked you who your lab partner is this year."

"I don't know yet," I replied.

"If it's a girl, you will fucking demand to change seats," she hissed, eyes blazing.

"You can't dictate who I hang out with," I said quietly. She would not like that.

As I expected, she flicked her hair, and her eyes filled with fake tears. Fuck those tears. She always bought them out when she wanted sympathy, and it drove me round the bloody bend.

"I'm sorry!" she bawled, "I can't help feeling protective!"

Rose rolled her eyes, and Alice shook her head in disapproval. I rubbed Tanya's back awkwardly as she sobbed into my shoulder. She pulled away from me, her eyes furious. She obviously hadn't been crying, as her face was still in perfect condition, but I could help feeling guilty. Alice shot me a warning glare, as though she realised I was feeling bad, but I ignored her.

"I know. But you can't rule my life," I said. She nodded, then turned to Victoria and began mumbling quietly and furiously.

"You've got yourself another fan," Emmett said, nudging me playfully.

He nodded over to a girl sitting with the not-quite-populars. She was looking over at me, and blushed when I busted her, turning her head back before talking to Angela. I turned away myself, but her face was blazing in my mind. I couldn't shake out the image of her pale, thin, drawn face throughout the lunch hour, and my family knew it.

I though of her for two reasons, one more outrageous than the other. The first was that she was the little brunette I'd smashed into in the parking lot. Tanya had been pissing me off then too, and I'd taken out my anger on her. I'd ended up hurting her, and I hadn't apologised. Esme would have been appalled if she'd seen how I acted towards her.

The second reason had me feeling sick and guilty.

She was fucking beautiful.

Her brown hair framed her hair in slight waves, hiding the adorable blush that had risen up her cheeks when I met her deep, chocolate-brown eyes. What confused me no end was the thick layers of make-up coating her pale skin. She seemed to be hiding something, for no girl could possibly wear that much muck to look good, not even Tanya and Victoria, but I couldn't for the life of me think what it would be. And she was so thin. She clearly wasn't deliberately starving herself, as she was eating perfectly normally now, but her face was drawn and grey, and her arms and legs were, quite literally, like sticks.

The bell rang, and I stood up slowly, her face still mapped into my brain. Tanya and Victoria had gone off already, heads together. Alice waved to me and said goodbye as she headed to art, and the rest of the Cullen mob headed to trig. I sighed and slung my bag over my shoulder, trekking down to biology.

The seating plan was up on the door, and I saw that I... Holy shit. I had to sit with Bella Swan. That was the new girl, so it must be the girl I'd had stuck in my brain for an hour. I sighed. The name suited her perfectly; innocent, gentle. Her eyes seemed to hold more emotions than your average high school student, who would be obsessed with sex, and I was desperate to find out why.

Then I remembered Tanya's warning, and sighed. Fuck her, I thought. She can't tell me who I sit with, it's not up to her. I sighed and was about to go in, when Lauren walked up to me, sneering.

"You aren't going to sit with that pathetic bitch are you? Tanya won't be happy. Swan already upset her," she said, standing far too close to me. Lauren was, to put it frankly, the school slut.

"Yes, I am. Tanya can't tell me what to do. She's my girlfriend, not my mother. Now fuck off and let me in," I said, rage boiling in the pit of my stomach.

"It's your funeral," she said, shoving her chest up towards me.

I was more than a little revolted as I stormed in, just making it before I'd be marked late, and slammed by books down, breathing heavily. I threw my bag under the desk and sat down, running a hand through my hair. I clicked my pen sub-consciously, and turned to Bella, who was watching me from under her eyelashes. I gave her a smile, but it was forced. Regardless of the shitty direction my life was taking, it didn't give me the right to take it out on her.

"I'm Edward Cullen, I guess we're lab-partners," I said awkwardly.

"Uh, hi. I'm Bella Swan," she said, blushing that adorable blush. Shelooked up at me from under her eyelashes again, and saw me watching her. What was it with her make-up? It was frustrating, and I knew that there was something wrong. But she barely knew me, I couldn't just go and dive in from the get go, could I? I looked away when she busted me watching her, and she stared at the front of her textbook, hiding behind her hair. Her long, silky brown hair.

Dr. Schmitz walked in at that moment, and told us what we'd be doing this year. He also said that our lab-partners would be permanent. This earned a few groans, and a few cheers. I shot Bella a smile, a real one this time, but she wasn't looking at me. I found it both interesting and a little hot that she wasn't drooling over me like the other girls seemed to. I felt guilty again. I'd just thought that a girl was hot, when I had a girlfriend. Sure, my girl was bitching about every little thing at the moment, but we were still dating.

We began our lab, identifying various parts of onion root cells. I offered her the microscope first, and she slipped in the slide and took a look.

"Prophase," she murmured.

"May I?" I asked, wanting to make sure she was right.

She nodded, handing me the microscope. I glanced at it, before nodding my agreement. She was an intelligent girl. This continued back and fourth, until we finished filling in our sheet, with a few minutes to spare.

"Look, Bella, I'm sorry for being such a jerk when I ran into you in the parking lot. I had a lot on my mind. I'm sorry," I said, hoping she would realise that I was sincere. I really did feel bad about that incident.

"It's fine," she mumbled, blushing yet again. It was almost fun making her blush. She was cute when she...blushed. I was doing it again. Get a grip Edward, I scolded myself.

"No, it's not," I sighed, "Where did you move from?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, uh, the Res., La Push."

"You live up there?" I asked, surprised. Wasn't that a native American tribe?

"Yeah. Why?"

"I just thought... Well I'd believed the Res. to be a native American residence," I said quietly, not wanting to offend her.

"It is."

"Oh," I said, sensing her reluctance to talk. I didn't know why she didn't want to talk, but she didn't. It was almost like she was desperate not to talk about herself.

As Dr. Schmitz explained the correct answers for those who got them wrong, (I was glad to say the girl sitting beside me was intelligent) I found my thoughts wandering to Bella more than I would have liked. After all, my thoughts were not all appropriate for a guy that has a girlfriend.

Then again, said a little snide voice in the back of my head that liked to argue with the better part of my brain, people do say that Tanya is sleeping with all the guys on the football team at the moment. I clenched my fist under the desk and looked anywhere but the girl next to me.

When the bell rung, I stood up and threw my stuff into my bag, before booking it from the room. Bella looked a little offended, but I couldn't find it in myself to care much. She was tugging my thoughts in the wrong direction, and I needed some space.

It was only half way through my next lesson, Spanish, that I realised what a hellish time she'd have. Tanya had told me I couldn't sit next to a girl. And I was. Bella's life was about to turn to hell, and it was all my fault. I banged my head against the table softly, so as not to attract unwanted attention.

Life was fucking great.

***

Bella's POV

As I walked back into Forks High School the following morning, after a night of beatings, Angela waved to me. I shot her a smile, unsure whether or not to walk over and talk to her. Thankfully, the decision was made for me. Ben whispered something in her ear and she rolled her eyes, before motioning me over. I gladly complied, and Angela hugged me gently.

"Hey Bella!" she said brightly.

"Hi," I said quietly, feeling a little embarrassed.

"What d'you have first?" Ben asked, after a short pause.  
"English," I replied.

"Sweet! Me too!" he said, seeming to be far too excited. Gone was placid, quiet Ben, and in his place was an enthusiastic, hyper guy, with far too much energy and a mischievous glint in his eyes. I turned to Angela, who let out a sigh.

"I was hoping he'd stay human for a while longer. Apparently not," she said as we headed into the building.

We grabbed our stuff from our lockers, and then made our way to class. Angela had History, so we bid her goodbye at the fork in our paths. As Ben and I walked to class, him chatting happily and me giving the appropriate responses, a figure looked behind us. We looked round, and I felt more than a little intimidated as I saw the large form of Emmett McCarthy.

"Yo Ben!" he called, despite being just a few feet away.

"Hey Em," Ben replied.

"Practise starts after school tomorrow. Coach wanted me to tell you."

"Cool man. Thanks," Ben said, bumping his fist with Emmett's.

"And you must be Bella Swan!" he said loudly, shaking my hand. He may have broken a few bones in the process.

"Uh. Yeah," I said, blushing twelve shades of scarlet.

"Emmett!" called a cold, unamused voice, "Leave the poor girl alone."

Emmett dropped my hand instantly, and apologised. I shook my head at him as a blond beauty walked up. Rosalie Hale was even more beautiful up close. She almost had that movie-star appearance. Her hair fell about her face in silky waves, about two-thirds of the way down her back. Her blue eyes were sharp, cold and piercing. According to Angela, she was friendly enough, but she didn't have many friends. Ben had said she had a complete 'no bull-shit' attitude. Her complexion was soft and flawless, not even the remains of a spot on her face. She wore a natural amount of make-up, and it complimented her perfectly, her black eye lashing bringing out her light blue eyes. Her full, crimson lips turned up into a light smile as her eyes landed on me. She wore a tight, light pink t-shirt that hugged her curved body and a pair of skinny jeans. Even in flat-heeled boots, Rosalie was about three inches taller than I.

"Ignore the buffoon. He likes meeting new people," she said.

I had no idea what to say, so I just nodded mutely.

"I'm sorry. I should introduce myself. I'm Rosalie Hale," she said, holding out her perfectly manicured hand, "Head cheerleader and about to kick that bitch that calls herself Queen Bee down."

"Bella Swan," I said, shaking her out-stretched hand, "New girl."

I was, at last, beginning to find my confidence a little. Sure, I was blushing all the time I spoke to her, but I was coherent, which was a large improvement from yesterday. If Rosalie had spoken to me twenty-four hours ago, I'd have been a mumbling, bumbling mess. It was pretty good, going to Forks High. It was helping me one hell of a lot, and in more ways than one. I actually had friends, for the first time in my life.

"Have you met Tanya Denali?" Rosalie asked, glancing at her watch. According to mine, we had ten minutes before the first period started.

"Yeah. And Victoria Hunter."

Emmett laughed.

"Did they try to pull you over to the dark side?"

"Something like that," I replied.

"What did you say? I can't imagine Ben here hanging out with one of Tanya's followers."

I blushed.

"I stole the line from Harry Potter," I confessed, "I said I could tell the wrong sort for myself."

The three people around me laughed. Well, Emmett guffawed, but the intent was the same.

"I like you Bella Swan," Emmett said.

"Poor you," Rosalie said, ignoring Emmett, "Meeting the Queen Bitch on your first day..." she trailed off, looking disgusted.

"Come on. We should go. See you at practise Em. Rosalie," Ben said, pulling me off.

***

As I headed to calc with Angela, having finished my assignment the previous night with her assistance, I told her about our conversation with Rosalie and Emmett. She seemed slightly amazed.

"Seriously? Rosalie never talks to the new kids," she said, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged, telling her I was nothing special. I was going to say I was no different to any other new student, but that would be too much like a lie, so I didn't. After all, I had three new gashes down my back from Billy's newly-purchased whip that no other new kid would have. Well, no new kid I knew about.

We sat down together, close to the back of the class, and pulled our stuff from our bags. Mike wandered over, trying and failing to look casual. He leant against our desk and drummed his fingers on the table. Unfortunately for him, this served only to annoy me. I raised my eyebrows at Angela, who just shook her head. Way to be helpful, I thought, slightly bitterly.

"Hey ladies," he began, with a wink in my direction. I inclined my head in greeting, and he opened his mouth to say something else, before being cut off by a loud shout from the front of the classroom.

"Ang!" called a girl that looked far too much like Tanya for my liking. Actually, upon first glance I thought it was indeed Tanya Denali that had shouted. I only looked again because of the familiarity with which she greeted Angela.

I looked across at my new friend as she embraced the girl. She had similar facial features to Tanya, and her hair and eyes were exactly the same colour. Her hair, however, was dead straight, as oppose to the loose curls Tanya's was styled into. She, like Emmett, harboured that mischievous glint in her eyes. She shot me a grin.

"Kate Denali," she said.

"Bella Swan," I replied. If it weren't for the fact that Angela seemed to like her, I'd have spoken to her coldly. It appeared that she was, in one way or another, related to Tanya. They looked so alike I had to assume they were sisters. This was confirmed by Angela's next comment.

"It's ok Bella. Kate and Irina are polar opposites of Tanya."

"Irina is my other sister. You'll spot her easily enough. She looks like the rest of us, but she wears glasses," Kate said.

"Oh."

"Mind if I hang with you at lunch?" Kate asked, directing her question to the both of us, "I need a break from Tanya's bitching about Edward."

"No problem," Angela said with a grimace, "I can't believe she actually believes any of that though. She's the one sleeping with the entire football team. Edward wouldn't cheat for a billion dollars."

Kate stated her agreement, before the teacher walked in. We settled down and began to work on the questions set. I let out a slight groan, my head hurting from all the ridiculously impossible math. I had never been so relieved when the bell rang, signalling our escape to Spanish. It also gave me a chance to asks Angela what the hell she and Kate were talking about.

I gathered up my stuff quickly and slung my rucksack over one shoulder. I shoved my chair under the desk, the most uncomfortable chair ever invented, I hasten to add, and followed the rest of the class out of the room. Apparently, everyone hated calc as much as I did. Angela and I turned left, heading away from both the mob of students and Mike Newton, who seemed to be following us like Victoria followed Tanya.

"So," I began, "What were you and Kate on about just then?"

Angela sighed and laughed humourlessly.

"You know who Edward Cullen is. Well he's dating Tanya. He's our star quarter-back, so all of the girls are after him. Equally, Tanya is Queen Bee, or, as Rosalie says, Queen Bitch of the school, so all the guys are after her. We all have every suspicion that she's sleeping with most of the football team. She, however, seems to be under some impression that Edward is cheating on her. That's a load of crap though. Edward wouldn't cheat on anyone in a century. He's under some delusion that Tanya isn't so bad. Why a decent guy like him goes out with a bitch like her is beyond me," she said.

"How long have they been a couple?" I asked, merely out of interest.

"About two years, I think. Maybe three. None of his family like her, and I don't blame them. I've only met Esme and Carlisle, his parents, once, and they seem pretty nice. Her parents though," she shivered slightly, "Let's just say Bree is and older version of Tanya. If possible, she's even more bitchy. Riley showers them with expensive gifts. Kate and Irina don't let it get to their heads, but, well, you've seen what Tanya's like."

"What about Victoria? What's her part in all this?"

It seemed a little odd that a girl like Tanya would have one friend that followed her everywhere just from being nice. Perhaps Victoria waned popularity, or perhaps she was, like Edward, under some delusion that Tanya was a nice person...

"The Hunters are family friends of the Denalis. I guess Tanya and Victoria have known each other for years, so they just morphed together. They aren't friends though. Tanya has followers, not friends," Angela explained, just as we reached the Spanish classroom.

***

Spanish passed quickly, and lunch was soon upon us. After buying some food, I sat down with the other people in Angela's little group of mates. Jessica didn't seem to be in, as I hadn't seen her in English and she wasn't in the lunch hall either. Tyler and Eric went straight into some conversation about chess versus racing cars, but I payed very little attention to it. Lauren was sitting with a salad in front of her, a furious look on her face.

Kate introduced me to Irina, who was exactly like the other two sisters. She had slightly more straggly hair, and she was much quieter than the other two. She seemed to have a good sense of humour, and, although we didn't seem to have much in common, I liked her. Kate sat beside me, with Irina on her other side. Ben sat on the other side of Angela, but was adding his two cents to Tyler and Eric's conversation. Mike was sitting by Lauren, seething in silence in a similar manner.

"So Bella. Who've you met other than this little group?" Kate asked.

"Well I spoke to Rosalie Hale and Emmett McCarthy briefly this morning," I said, blushing slightly under her gaze. Kate's reaction was similar to Angela's. I didn't have a clue why Rosalie had spoken to me, but it must have been something...

"What other lessons do you have?" Kate asked me. I listed off my lessons, and Irina perked up a little when I mentioned I had biology after lunch.

"Who's your lab partner?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Uh, Edward Cullen," I said, more embarrassed than needs be.

Angela and Kate let out exclamations of surprise, but Irina nodded thoughtfully. I wanted to know what was going on in her mind. It appeared she'd just pieced some puzzle together, and was just admiring the picture she created. I kept my eyes on her, and the looked up at me after a minute or two.

"That'll be why Rosalie and Emmett spoke to you," she said. Kate and Angela stopped their animated discussion and looked to her, surprise in their eyes.

"What d'you mean?" Angela asked.

"The Cullen kids all have a super close relationship, hell, the whole family do, so I bet Edward mentioned you in passing."

"But why would us being lab partners mean Rosalie spoke to me? Even if I was mentioned?" I asked Irina. Secretly, I was doing a slight fist-bump that Edward Cullen had mentioned me.

Irina merely smiled slightly mysteriously, and looked across the lunch hall to a table behind Angela. I followed her gaze, nd saw the Cullens sitting together, minus Edward and Tanya. Alice, the pixie-like girl, was watching us, a slight smile in her lips. I turned back to Irina, even more confused.

"I think time will tell you," she said, leaving me none the wiser. I decided not to press the matter, and turned back to my pasta, pondering what on earth Irina had been in about. And why was Alice watching us? It all seemed... Freakishly strange.

The bell rang, and we stood up, bidding each other goodbye. I didn't bother waiting for Lauren, as I knew she'd have nothing to say to me, and there was nothing I had to say to her. I walked through the corridors quickly, wincing when somebody brushed up against my arm, which was sporting several cuts and bruises from... I'd lost track of when I'd gained my injuries.

I sat down at my desk, and saw that Edward was already there. He smiled at me, the first proper smile I'd seen in his lips in the two days I'd know him. I pulled out my chair and tripped slightly on the corner of the table. Blushing furiously, I sat down, avoiding his gaze.

"Afternoon Bella," came his musical voice from my left.

"Hey Edward," I mumbled. I spread my hair over my shoulder, drawing a curtain between us. It was too embarrassing to speak to him much, particularly when he unleashed all of his charm. It reduced me to an incoherent idiot. Damn his holy hotness.

"How're you finding Forks High?"

Well damn. He just had to make conversation.

"Fine, thank you," I said quietly, "I've met some great people." And some fucking horrible people. The worst of which happens to be your girlfriend, I added in my head.

"I'm glad. Have you met the rest of my family?"

"Just Rosalie and Emmett," I said, beginning to feel a little less self-conscious as I spoke to him. I moved my hair back slightly and sneaked a glance his way. He was watching me, and I felt a blush heat up my face instantly. He smiled.

"So you haven't met Alice yet? Perhaps that's a good thing," he said with a wry grin.

"Why?"

"She, er, tends to get hyper. A lot. And she's obsessed with shopping."

I laughed a little, and he joined in. Our conversation was cut of when Dr. Schmitz walked in and explained our next task. We would be given a sheet of topics, and we had to work with our lab partners and complete a project on our chosen topic. I took the sheet and we looked over it together.

Edward was leaning over, his body not far away from mine. I could feel his breath hot on my neck as he read the topics over my shoulder, and my heart-rate increased significantly. Ok, let's be honest here. There wasn't a girl in the school that wouldn't feel exactly the same if Mr. Hotness was in that position, breathing on their neck. With the possible exception of Alice and Rosalie, but that didn't really count.

Finally, Edward moved away, and I tried not to let out a sigh. It was both a relief and a sadness for Edward to move away from me. It meant that I could regain my thoughts, but it also left me feeling cold. How on earth was I going to survive this year with this adonis, God-like person next to me?

"What would you like to do?" he asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Um," I looked back down the list, "Honestly, I'm not fussed."

"How about micro-organisms? That's relatively easy, and relatively interesting," he suggested.

"Sounds fine to me," I replied.

Having decided what our topic was going to be, we began to brainstorm ideas. Ok, Edward came up with most of the ideas, I was still struggling to speak without going bright red, so I just listened and nodded most of the time. Perhaps it would become easier? I scoffed. You're sitting next to holy hotness Bella.

The lesson passed pretty quickly, and I began to realise that Edward really was quite the gentleman. The first sentence he'd ever uttered to me had been very misleading. Angela was right - he had looks, money, brains, and manners. Apparently his father was a doctor, and earned a fair sum, and his mother was an interior designer, earning her own chunk of a fortune. I understood entirely why Tanya wanted to date him. That didn't mean I thought being a gold-digger was right. Well, if that's what she was, and it certainly seemed that way, from what people had said.

The bell rang, and I let out an audible groan. Edward looked amused, and asked me what I had next.

"Gym," I replied, "I'm not exactly athletic. I can't walk over a flat surface without tripping."

"I see," Edward said with a chuckle.

"It's not funny," I mumbled, going bright red, "Just because you're the sporty type."

"Sorry Bella," Edward said, seeming sincere.

I shook his apology off. There was no need to say sorry for something like that.

"I guess I'll see you later then," Edward said.

"Bye Edward," I replied quietly.

We parted and I began the walk to the gym. I grabbed my kit from my locker and changed quickly in the changing room. I was just leaving, when someone grabbed my hair, yanking me back painfully. I didn't make a noise, being perfectly used to the pain, but spun round, surprised.

"Bitch," Tanya hissed.

"Excuse me?" I gasped. What on earth had I done to her? Well, except refuse to be her follower...

"You will change lab partners by the end of the week, or there will be hell to pay," she spat.

"No," I said, sounding far more confident than I felt.

"What?" she screeched.

"Take that one up with Edward," I said.

"Bitch!" Tanya declared again, and raised her hand to slap my face. Not that it would have been anything out of the ordinary. Before her hand reached my face, a pale, petite hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"I don't think so Tanya," Alice Cullen said furiously, eyes blazing. Tanya sneered.

"Defending Swan are we? Fuck off," she said.

"That shit doesn't sit with me," little Alice replied venomously, "Back off."

Tanya seemed unfazed by Alice's wrath. Perhaps that was because she was about a foot taller than Alice, so she felt she could intimidate the smaller girl. Alice seemed anything but intimidated as she looked up into Tanya's face.

"Let's face it Tanya," Alice continued, "You and I both know that most of these rumours are true. You're sleeping with Edward's football fellows, and you're only here for the money he'll inherit when Dad dies. That's why your so possessive. No ordinary girlfriend threatens innocent girls that have been assigned a specific seat next to their boyfriend."

She had a point. I was, however, slightly shocked that these rumours were indeed true. I'm not sure why it shocked me, but it did.

"So what? Edward will never know, and then he'll ask me to marry him, and it'll be mine too," Tanya said.

"Over my dead body," Alice growled.

"That can be arranged."

"Back off bitch. Bella's under Cullen protection. Nobody fucks around with us and gets away with it," Alice snarled, before grabbing my arm gently and leading me out into the hall. I was slightly surprised that Alice had jumped to my rescue, especially as we'd never even spoken, but perhaps it was more the chance to have a go at Tanya. Either way, I was grateful.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"No problem. I'm Alice Cullen," she said, smiling.

"Bella Swan," I replied.

And like that, we became friends. I had no idea how much that would change the course of my life.


	8. Chapter 8-Queen Bitch

"Slut!" Jacob cried as he found his disgusting release. He came all over me, and my body reacted promptly. I vomited all over the floor, as I had done the first time, and as before, he left with a smirk, ordering me to clean it up. He slammed the door and locked it forcefully. I whimpered in pain as I began to clean up the mess. I could feel every bruise where he'd held me too tight, every cut where his nails had dug into my flesh, every mark where he'd hit me, and every drop of blood that pooled between my legs, even after he'd finished his rape session.

_Vile, twisted, bastard._

I pulled on the first clothes I laid hands on, not that I had many to pick from. I laid down on my bed and let the tears roll down my cheeks. If only my parents hadn't died... That errant thought bought on another round of tears, but I recognised the need to be silent. I had no will to inflict more injuries upon myself.

My phone flashed beside me, and I picked it up, scanning through the text from Leah. She was just asking me how I was, and how Forks High was. At the mention of my new school, a small smile formed on my face, the corners of my lips tugging upwards. For the first time in years, I had real friends, friends I could freely talk to, and I felt wanted.

I replied quickly, telling her all about my new group of friends, and my tentative relationship with the Cullens. I hit send, and put my phone back down. I'd only put it down for a minute or two, when it flashed again. This time, it was a text from Angela, asking me f I wanted to see the game on Friday, Forks High versus O'Dea High, in Seattle. I bit my lip nervously. Could I go? I made a mental note to ask Billy, or to pretend to be in detention, and returned Angela's text, telling her I'd get back to her.

Leah had replied with an enthusiastic message, telling me that the rumours were flying with regards to where I was. I stifled a laugh at that. Who knew I'd become popular at school after I'd left? I mentioned just that, and Leah sent me a laugh back. She then asked me if I could reach Facebook over my phone.

I frowned. I'd never even considered it, but I could, yes, when I was in range. I opened up the Internet, one of the few extra features on my phone, and typed in Facebook. It loaded very slowly, but I wasn't complaining. At least I had access to the Internet. People would start asking questions if I were too out-of-the-ordinary. Apparently, most teenagers had Facebook.

Leah and I texted back and forth furiously as I set up an account. I felt a sense of growing pride as I finished filling in my details. I updated my status, and grinned at my phone, just revelling in the normality of the moment. It was amazing. I was actually doing something that a normal girl of seventeen would do on a Tuesday evening. I'd made dinner for Billy and Jacob, I'd been raped and beaten, and I'd been locked up in my room. Now at last I had my freedom.

I heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, so I shot off a warning text to Leah, before locking my phone. If Billy found out that she and I spoke, and regularly at that, she and her family would wish they were dead. I pretended to look busy with one of my textbooks.

The door was flung open, and I blushed slightly. If Billy were sober, he'd almost certainly have noticed my tinted cheeks, but he remained ignorant to my secret. Instead, he ordered me to clean myself up and then said he'd lock the door to my room again. It was the same routine every night. Ten minutes in the bathroom, door locked until half five the next morning.

I slipped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, shutting the plain white door quietly behind me. I looked over my bruises once, taking in the purple, blue, yellow and brown marks that covered my skin. I was lucky nobody had mentioned it in gym that afternoon. Perhaps they had, but had already realised I was a klutz?

Right on cue, I spun round to turn the shower on, and I tripped on the bath-mat. I nearly laughed at myself, but I held it in. Jeez, what was it with me at the moment? Since when did I feel so happy? Nobody sane felt happy in this hell-house. Maybe I was going mad though, I'd been cooped up and abused long enough, who wouldn't go off on a tangent?

I shook off the thoughts as I climbed into the shower, the hot water cascading over my sore body. Every cut on my skin stung, but between my legs was the worst. It burned red-hot, bringing back the painful memories of each and every time Jacob had raped me over the last few months. I blinked away the tears and turned off the shower, knowing my time was running short. I wiped over the worst of my injuries with a little Savlon, and then wiped as much blood off my clothes as I could with a damp corner of my towel. I threw my clothes back on and opened the door again, disappearing into my bedroom just before Billy locked it.

Of course, he slapped me goodnight.

***

The following morning, I awoke early, surprised to see the sun streaming brightly through my thin curtains. I let out a yawn and rubbed the remains of sleep from my eyes. Picking up my phone from my make-shift table, I logged onto Facebook. God, I was becoming one of those Facebook-obsessed girls I'd always laughed at. Never mind, I thought, as the page loaded. May as well enjoy the bits of life you can.

I was surprised to see that I had several friend requests. The first was from Angela, which I excepted. There was one from Ben, one from Alice, and one from Edward. I excepted all of them, and did a mental squeal at the latter. I was Facebook friends with Edward fuck-hot Cullen.

Uh huh. I just admitted it. Edward was seriously, freaking hot. That mess of wavy bronze hair that fell over his face, his startling, deep emerald eyes, his lightly tanned, shimmery skin, and his full, soft-looking lips. What would it be like to kiss those plump-

I cut myself off quickly. Edward had a girlfriend. He wasn't interested in me. I was an abused, freak, not to mention I was new to the school. And I was utterly plain compared to him. My hair was brown, my eyes were brown, my skin was pale, never tanning, and I was of average height. There was nothing interesting about me. Edward was hot, brainy, rich, polite and popular. Why the hell would he waste his time on me, when he obviously had so many, far better options? He had his pick with any of the cheerleaders, and Tanya, though fake, looked like she'd walked straight out of a Vogue magazine.

I had no idea why I felt so bitter about it all. I should be feeling elated that I had friends, let alone two from the popular group. And yet, I couldn't help but feel sad that Edward was taken, despite having known him for all of two days. I felt some strange, magnetic pull towards him. It wasn't natural I was sure. Then again, who could call me normal?

Pushing away my fantasy thoughts of Edward, I pulled my duvet back and climbed out of bed. I drew the threadbare curtains and let the sunlight pour through the transparent glass, landing on my dirty carpet and illuminating the room with its strong glow. I smiled at the world outside, feeling happier than I had in years, despite my negative thoughts regarding Edward and Tanya...

It was then that I remembered all the rumours about Tanya. Was the girl really cheating on him? Yes, I answered myself. She'd admitted it, more or less, why Alice had confronted her in gym the previous afternoon. I sighed. Did Edward know? Would he ever know? Would he marry the woman, and walk in on her, his wife, fucking some stranger? It was just the kind of thing I could imagine Tanya doing.

It was amazing. I'd known the students of Forks High for two days, and already I was drawing and forming strong conclusions about them. Once again, I wondered what the real reason for Victoria spending her life with Tanya was. Though Angela's explanation regarding family friends seemed perfectly normal, the pair were thick as thieves. According to Jessica, who was, admittedly, the biggest gossiper in the school, Victoria was lost without Tanya. It just wasn't normal.

Was Victoria after something? She was already a cheerleader, from what I gathered, and she was certainly popular. Perhaps she wanted to become Queen Bee. Or maybe she wanted Edward. What better way to lay her hands on Mr. Fuck-Hot than to become best friends with his girlfriend? How long had the pair been friends? Two years? Maybe three? No, I thought. They'd been friends longer than that, it seemed. Scrap the last idea Bella.

I was snapped from my thoughts when my door was opened by Billy, who seemed to have sobered up since the previous evening. If he was really drunk, he became violent, but if he'd had just slightly too much to drink, then he just became unobservant and slightly delirious. The previous night had been a case of the latter. Billy smirked at me and jabbed his thumb towards the kitchen.

"I want breakfast on the table in five minutes Girl," he sneered.

I nodded at him, afraid to say the wrong thing and be punished. After covering my injuries with make-up, I headed downstairs when he moved his wheelchair from its position in from too my bedroom doorway. I pulled the two boxes of cereal from the fridge and grabbed the milk. Along with cutlery and bowels, I placed them on the table. I picked up three mugs and boiled the kettle. I threw sugar and coffee powder into them, and in my haste to pour the boiling water in the mugs before Billy and Jacob got down, I burnt the tip of my finger. I cursed and ran it under the tap, before stirring the steaming liquid and placing everything in the table, just as Jacob began his decent.

I stood 'respectfully' by the side of the table as I waited for Billy, watching enviously as Jacob poured out a full bowel of cereal and a lot of milk. Billy reached us at last, and watched carefully as I gave myself breakfast, making sure I ate only enough to keep me alive. Yup. Billy too was sick and twisted. I hated the Blacks. Truly hated them. Taking a deep breath, I decided to ask my question, both of them seemed in a relatively good mood.

"Billy?" I asked quietly, "Am I allowed to watch the game on Friday after school?"

"So long as dinner is on the table and the house is clean before the usual time, I don't care what the fuck you do, bitch," he sneered.

Score.

After downing my breakfast quickly, I grabbed my stuff from my bedroom and left the house before Billy could find something else to punish me about, or before Jacob decided to ditch and rape me all day. I shuddered at the thought as I walked quickly to school.

About half an hour into my walk, a bright yellow Porsche passed me. I spotted Alice behind the wheel, Jasper next to her. She slowed down the car and pulled over, leaning out of the window.

"Hey Bella! I'll give you a lift!"

I frowned slightly. Weren't Porsches two-seaters? Jasper opened his door and motioned me in. Thanking Alice profusely - I really didn't want to walk the remaining mile and a half to school, I climbed into the car. I was slightly alarmed to see Jasper sat with little Alice in his lap as she drove off again. I had my seatbelt on in a flash, and Jasper let out a chuckle, probably at my expression.

"It's ok Bella, I won't crash," Alice vowed.

I wasn't sure I really believed her, but what choice did I have? I wondered suddenly whether Rosalie, Emmett and Edward shared the silver Volvo that I knew belonged to Edward. No, I thought, Edward probably rode Tanya - I spat the name in my head, getting a sour taste in my mouth - to school.

Glancing across at Jasper and Alice, I realised that I'd never actually been introduced to Jasper. As though on a par with my own thoughts, Jasper smiled at me with a slightly calculating expression, before holding out his hand to me.

"I'm Jasper Hale," he said with a grin.

"Bella Swan," I replied, shaking his outstretched hand.

"I feel like I know you already. This one," he pointed at Alice, "Hasn't shut up about you. Neither has Rose for that matter," he added thoughtfully.

"You must have made quite an impression Bella," Alice continued, "Rose doesn't warm to people easily, but she was gushing about you."

I blushed. The last thing I wanted at Forks High was lots of attention. Sure, I'd set out with a single goal in mind - to make some friends - but I hadn't bargained on gaining an enemy, a crush, and a friendly relationship with the populars. My mind had assumed I'd make a few friends of people like Angela. Well, I had for that matter.

"So Bella, you coming to the game on Friday?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Yup," I said, popping the 'p', "I've never watched a school match before though," I admitted, flushing slightly. I mean, a girl at seventeen that hadn't gone to cheer on their boyfriend before? Nah. It didn't happen. Not for normal people that is.

"Really?" Jasper asked, seeming surprised and horrified.

"You're in for a treat. Wait until you see Rose cheerleading. She used to do gymnastics, but they don't have a team, so she took up cheerleading instead. She's amazing. You'll understand why she's head cheerleader when you see her," Alice babbled at a hundred miles an hour.

When she finished, I had a distinct case of whiplash. Jasper chuckled and laid a gentle hand on Alice's shoulder, which was below his own, despite her sitting in his lap. Alice really was a tiny pixie.

"Calm down Alice. You'll frighten the girl."

I shot Jasper a grateful glance, before I felt the car slow as we pulled into the Forks High parking lot. I climbed out and slammed the door, looking for Angela and Ben. Ok! I was looking for Edward too. Can you really blame me? Victoria was lurking near the entrance, presumably waiting for Tanya to arrive with Edward. I spotted Emmett climbing from an enormous Jeep, giving Rosalie a hand.

"You'd never know she wants to be a mechanic," said a velvety voice from behind me.

Startled, I spun round, finding myself face-to-face with Edward himself. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt faint from the over-powering aroma that swirled around me. I was quite sure my imagination was making it seem bad. I took a half step back, swaying slightly.

"You ok Bella?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow. A freaking perfect eyebrow, I must add.

"Y-yeah," I replied, my voice shaking slightly. Edward looked doubtful, so I continued hurriedly. "Rosalie wants to be a mechanic?"

"Uh huh. She loves cars. Spends her life tinkering with ours. I can't complain," he said with a chuckle that made my knees weak, "She keeps my baby in perfect working order."

I smiled slightly, beginning to feel that flood of confidence that had built up the previous day in biology. When he wasn't standing too close, I could keep my head. Pretty much. But when he invaded my personal bubble, I couldn't handle it. I glanced at the distance between us, and was glad to see that it was at least three feet. My racing heart calmed. Before I knew what I was doing, I'd blurted out a question. A stupid question.

"Are you playing in the match on Friday?"

I blushed bright red in true Bella style. Of course he is, I thought with an internal groan. How could I be so foolish as to ask something like that? I let out a very quiet groan and hid behind my curtain of hair. Thank God I'd left it lose, I thought with an internal sigh.

"Yeah," Edward said, smiling slightly, "You coming to watch?"

I was relieved that he didn't acknowledge the stupidity of my question, but my face was still burning when I nodded.

"Sorry Bella. I need to go. See you in biology!" he said, striding off without warning. I bid him quietly goodbye, but I doubted he heard me. He was clearly too interested in his girlfriend, I thought bitterly. There it is, that bitter thought about Edward with another woman. What on Earth was wrong with me?

I turned round, only to see Alice and Jasper smirking at me, Angela and Ben next to them. I blushed again, and I was furious with my body for betraying me. Again.

"So," Alice said with a slightly cocky edge to her voice, "What's got you blushing?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, looking down.

"Aw Bella. Don't be like that," Ben said with a grin.

"Yeah. You can't help having a crush," said the sneaky voice of Kate Denali, appearing from behind Alice's Porsche.

If anything, their comments made me blush deeper.

"Shut up," I hissed, "Tanya's already after me."

That sobered them up immediately. Alice appeared to be remembering Tanya's attack on me the previous afternoon, and Jasoer and Angela grimaced sympathetically. Ben lost his his arrogant smirk, and looked at me with friendly concern. Kate looked distinctly unimpressed with my statement.

"You think you got it bad Swan?" she joked, "I gotta live with Queen Bitch."

I was surprised that Kate, the sister of Tanya, used the rude but accurate nickname given to the Queen Bee of the school by Rosalie. Neither did I know how to respond to that. It was perfectly true. I'd commit suicide if I had to live with someone as bad as Tanya, and yet Kate did so and still remained fun, joking and friendly.

Oh wait, I thought, I do. I live with the Blacks, who abuse me at every bloody chance they get. Right on cue, my body began to ache all over from the injuries I had from...well, from absolutely everything. Fuck, my life seriously sucked.

The bell rang, snapping me sharply from my thoughts. With a sigh, we all headed into the building.

***

The mornings lessons passed quickly, and I managed to avoid any further conversations with Mike or Lauren. Mike spent his time flirting with me, and Lauren spent her time ignoring or insulting me. Did I really want to experience that all through solving impossible equations? No.

I was walking down to the lunch hall on my own, having told Angela I'd meet up with her after she'd finished her 'talk' with Ben - sounded more like a snogging session to me - when I heard somebody sneer my surname. Spinning round, I found myself face-to-face with Tanya and Victoria. Just great.

"So bitch, when exactly are you asking Dr. Schmitz if you can swap lab partners?" Tanya asked, while Victoria carefully examined her nails.

"As I said, take it up with Edward," I replied cooly. I sounded far more confident than I felt. In actual fact, I wanted to slap her and run, but I definitely didn't have the strength or the courage to do that. My under-fed body couldn't outrun Tanya, and there were two of them. It would be a futile effort.

"I don't like your answer Swan," Tanya said, eyes flaming, "I want you to switch lab partners. This afternoon."

What could I do? I wanted nothing more than to come up with a snarky response, and put them in their place. Perhaps even reveal the truth to Edward. But how could I? I had no evidence, despite the fact that Tanya had admitted her cheating to Alice, and as I'd previously thought, I was no match for the Queen Bitch and her slave.

Just as I was about to answer with my final reply, refusing to give in, somebody tall, pale and blond stepped before me, blocking my view of the pair slightly. I didn't realise who it was until the distinct voice of Rosalie Hale swam into my ears.

"Back off bitch," Rosalie hissed. I imagined her face was as terrifying as her voice, if not more so. If those three words had been directed towards me, my knees would have been knocking together, and my palms sweating as I twisted my hands together. Thank God that wrath of the blond-beauty was all for Tanya and Victoria.

"Or what?" Victoria challenged.

Rather you than me.

"Bella's under Cullen protection. You know that, so stay the fuck away from us," Rosalie said, her voice quiet, low, cold and deadly. The girl was, quite frankly, terrifying. Tanya and Victoria regarded Rosalie with cold, hard glares, but the power of their gazes was futile compared to Rosalie's. It was like a mouse trying to scare a lion. Not happening. At last, the two girls walked off. That didn't mean that I didn't hear the muttered threat Tanya whispered to me.

"I'll get you Bella Swan."


	9. Chapter 9-Rosalie's Story

I followed Rosalie into the lunch hall in silence, and was mildly surprised to see Angela and Ben sitting, hands clasped on top of the table, with the Cullens. Well, the Cullens minus Edward. Angela shot me a small smile, and Ben grinned at me. I sat down by them, feeling far more comfortable with my two friends than the rest of the Cullens. Alice I could deal with well enough, but I wasn't sure where I stood with the rest of them.

"No need to look so apprehensive Bella," Jasper said lightly.

_Cue blush._

"Welcome to the world of the Cullens," Emmett said with a sly grin. Rosalie slapped him up the back of the head, causing a pout to form on his lips. I wondered, suddenly, whether Emmett liked Rosalie slapping him. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

"Idiot," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.

The thing is, when you've spent the last eleven years alone, with no friends, you become rather observant, particularly regarding people. While Rosalie was being sarcastic towards her boyfriend, I was searching her eyes for clues. I hadn't been able to shake what Angela had said about Rosalie not warming to new kids quickly from my mind. It was, to be frank, driving me insane.

So as I watched Rosalie, I saw a flicker of something like worry in her eyes. It was so brief I could hardly be sure it was there at all, but I thought I saw her eyes lock with Alice's in concern, and then flick to mine, then to be covered with her mask of other emotions. I looked across at Alice, who was sitting back in her chair, eyes glazed over as she stared down into space.

This time, Rosalie definitely looked at me worriedly.

Alice definitely wasn't in the room with us. Her mind was somewhere far away, and I didn't like it one bit. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise as I stared at her, and I felt the sudden urge to protect myself. Shaking off the feeling, I looked across at Angela and Ben, who seemed to have noticed nothing.

Rosalie diverted my attention from Alice with a brisk clear of her throat. I turned away from Alice, deciding that I wasn't going to find any answers by staring at her, and looked back to Rosalie.

"I suspect that you'd like to know why we hate Tanya quite so much Bella?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes," I nodded, "Though I can have a pretty good guess."

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that for Rose," Jasper said, his face grim. I glanced across to where Tanya and Edward were seated. Tanya looked furious, and seemed to be hissing at him. Edward looked equally angry, and had his arms folded over his chest as he glared at his girlfriend.

"They're always like that now. Ever since Tanya started sleeping with the team, she's been crazily protective of Edward," Emmett said, all hints of humour gone from his voice. I desperately wanted to know the whole story, but I was worried about intruding.

Rosalie smiled sadly.

"When Edward first started dating Tanya, she seemed perfectly nice. She could be slightly selfish at times, and she had Edward spend too much money on her, but she didn't seem so bad. Her parents were a different matter entirely, but that's something else entirely," Rosalie began, "Tanya continued to be perfectly nice and polite for several months, and it was clear that Edward liked her. Sure, he didn't think of them as 'forever', so to speak, but he was happy with her.

"Unfortunately, all of my impressions were thrown down the drain about three months after they started dating. I was just walking between classes, when I heard Tanya talking on the phone. I was just going say hi, so I waved to her as I passed her. She shot me this murderous glare, and I immediately knew something wasn't right. I sped up, and hid behind a corner to listen to her conversation. She was talking to Victoria, and was basically explaining all her plans with Edward. Using him for his money, and his body. It was the most disturbing conversation I've ever heard.

"I left quickly, and told this great oaf about it," Rosalie said, jabbing Emmett, "At first, he didn't believe me. It caused a few arguments between us, to say the least.

"Tanya was over at our house one day, and she assaulted me. She seemed to know that I'd heard her conversation, and she threatened me. Jasper saved me from her, and I explained everything. Jasper called a family meeting, and I told them all that I'd heard. Edward, of course, didn't believe anything I said, but everyone else was convinced.

"Since then, Tanya has known that we know all of her dirty secrets, so she's been out to make our lives a living hell - mine especially. She destroyed my social life a couple of years ago, by saying that she'd seen me with some guy on the football team. Thankfully, none of my family, Edward included, bought a word she said. Over the last couple of years, I decided to put my foot down. That bitch has been strutting around as Queen here, spouting her crap, for far too long. It's time for some new blood."

I was slightly awed by Rosalie's speech, but she clearly hadn't finished.

"When you came to Forks High, Alice thought there was something different about you. I'll admit, I said you would probably be falling at Tanya's feet within a few hours, but, as she so often is, Alice was right. When I heard you telling Emmett about your first encounter with Queen Bitch, I was exceedingly impressed. Alice said that Tanya had it in for you, because you were lab partners with Edward.

"That's when it hit me. Edward was starting to realise that Tanya isn't as perfect as she portrays herself, and her perfect façade was starting to slip. He needed a shove in the right direction. I then heard Edward talking to Jasper, and saying how strange it was that he liked you so quickly.

"I decided that I wanted to learn a bit more about you, so I used our early, tentative alliance to my advantage. If I'm being honest, I basically stalked you on the Internet."

It was at this point that everyone at the table turned to her. It had been obvious that they'd heard the rest of her story before, but this was new to them, it seemed. Even Emmett looked surprised at her words. I blushed slightly, knowing that I had the head cheerleader stalking me, but my gaze was fixated on Rosalie. I was desperate to hear the rest of her story, particularly with the confusion written all over her face.

"I found your Facebook page, and I saw your full name. I hadn't thought about it until I saw it written down: Isabella Marie Swan. I saw that you said you lived with Billy and Jacob Black, down in La Push. But they aren't your parents," she said slowly, "So I decided to wanted to delve a little deeper. I looked through old things on the Internet, until I found your parents. Carmen and Eleazer Swan. They died.

"You never talk about your family Bella. It's strange. I know that you've obviously had a difficult childhood, but you're with family friends, and a boy that's practically your brother. There's something you aren't telling us."

Sudden tears swam in my eyes. I felt someone wrap an arm around me, and I heard the unmistakable voice of Alice hiss at Rosalie, telling her that she'd gone too far. I assumed it was Angela that was comforting me, and it wasn't until Jasper chastised Rosalie for her behaviour that I realised I was actually crying.

"I'm sorry Bella," Rosalie said quietly, "I went too far."

"Damn right you did," hissed a voice to my left that I recognised as Ben's.

"No, it's ok," I said quietly, finally in control of my voice a little.

"No, it isn't," Alice said, her voice angry.

"She's right though," I replied, my voice slightly shaky as I looked up from Angela's comforting embrace.

Every head except Rosalie's and Alice's snapped to mine in intense surprise. Angela rubbed her hand lightly down my arm, and I winced as it crossed one of my more tender points. Ben was watching me with a strange expression, and Jasper looked mildly frustrated. Emmett's face would have been hilarious, so confused and worried, except that my body had decided that that would be a good moment to start hurting like fuck.

Rosalie didn't look at all surprised by what I said, and she'd obviously worked it out for herself, but she did look, like Jasper, mildly frustrated. Alice too, didn't look surprised by my words. Her reaction confused me slightly, as from what Rosalie had just said, she hadn't told anybody about her suspicions. So why was Alice not appearing like the others?

"What do you mean Bella?" Jasper asked slowly.

"She's right," I murmured again, turning my head away and hiding behind my curtain of dark hair.

"Yes," Jasper said in a 'duh' tone, "But how so?"

"Idiot!" Rosalie hissed at her brother, "There's a reason she's not telling us whatever it is. Shut the fuck up!"

I tuned out the bickering that broke out around me, and saw both Angela and Ben watching me with slight worry. I turned away, guiltily, from their searching faces, and looked ahead of me. Unfortunately, Alice too was watching me. It was then that I remembered Alice's strange behaviour earlier, before Rosalie had begun her story.

What was it with Alice?

Sure, she was weird. That much was obvious from the get-go. She was hyper, pixie-like, and utterly crazy. Somewhere under all that, she was really friendly and nice. But I hadn't seen her like that before, and I was more than a bit desperate to know what was going on.

"You ok Bella?" Angela asked, snapping me from my internal musings.

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

As I picked at the sandwich in front of me, a commotion broke out in the canteen. I looked across to where the shout had come from, and saw two of the three Denali sisters on their feet, hollering in each other's faces. Kate was furious, and stood about an inch above Tanya, who was red-faces and making herself look like a fool.

"What the fuck Tanya?" Kate shouted, "Why on this shitty Earth would you say that?"

"Because it's fucking true! That bitch is out to steal my guy!" Tanya snapped, her face going tomato-red.

If I wasn't sure what they were 'talking' about before, I knew now. Tanya was under the delusion that some unfortunate, new girl was out to snag Edward from her. Who was this girl? Well she had mousy brown hair, bruises over most of her skin, and plain brown eyes. Guessed yet?

Oh yeah. Me.

"She's not Tanya! What the hell is wrong with you? Ever since you," Kate said, jabbing a finger at her sister and putting emphasis on the word 'you', "Starting being a complete slut, you've become bitchy, over-protective and stupid. We're tired of all your crap. I'd be surprised if Edward wasn't too."

"Edward won't know," Tanya sneered.

"Oh he will eventually, mark my words. He's not stupid."

"Exactly. Eventually. By that time, it'll be too late!"

"You really are a delusional bitch Tanya," Kate said with a disgusted shake of her head, "I'm ashamed to call you my sister. You're making Bella's life hell just because she's lab partners with Edward."

"She's out to get him! He's mine!"

"No," Irina said, standing next to Kate, her quiet voice laced with fury, a menacing look in her eyes, "He's not yours. You can't dictate his life to him. If anything, this behaviour will drive you apart, and Edward closer to his other friends. Use your brain."

"She can't Irina. Using her brain would require her to have one, and she sure as hell doesn't," Kate said, looking her sister up and down as though she were a piece of chewing gun stuck to her shoe.

"You bitch!" Tanya shrieked, right before lunging at her small (in height, of course) sister, hands aiming for her neck.

I didn't feel the aching all over my body. I didn't feel the stinging cuts covering my back and upper arms. I just knew I didn't want Tanya attacking her own sister. Irina was far smaller than Tanya, and it was easy to see who'd win that fight. I didn't really consider that Kate would have protected her sister. I wasn't exactly being logical.

I was out of my seat in a flash, the moment I saw Tanya's hands moving to Irina's neck, and was across the lunch hall in a few seconds. Don't even ask how I managed not to fall over something, it was a freak moment.

My hands made contact with Tanya's about five seconds after I left my seat, and we both staggered backwards from the force of me flying into her. It was at that moment that I realised the stupidity of my actions. I'd just grabbed Tanya, right before she was about to strike. Her wrath would be turned towards me...

"What the fuck bitch?" Tanya screamed at me. Kate pulled her sister away from me, for which I was very grateful. I really didn't like the look of those long, ruby-red nails. They could easily gouge out a girl's eyes. It wasn't like I needed any other injuries.

"Leave her alone Tanya. Leave us alone," Kate said, her voice leaving no room for argument. Unfortunately, this was Tanya we were talking about.

"I'll get you bitch," Tanya said, stalking over to Victoria and strutting out of the canteen, nose in the air.

"Thanks Bella," Irina said quietly.

"Wasn't my most intelligent move," I replied, embarrassed, as we walked back to the table that seated the Cullens.

"Maybe not," Rosalie said, obviously having heard what I'd said, "But it was a damn brave one."

I blushed twelve shades of scarlet as I took my seat. The chatter started back up as Tanya left, but I zoned out of most of it. My thoughts were elsewhere.

Tanya was cheating on Edward, and he didn't believe his family when they told him that. Tanya seemed to be hated by everyone sane, and the rest were her personal sheep. The Cullens, Angela and Ben knew that I was hiding something, but they didn't know what. There was something about Alice that wasn't quite right, and it wasn't just the fact that she was of an over-excitable nature.

I was snapped from my thoughts when I heard someone sit down next to me. I looked up, ready to smile or glare depending on who it was, when I saw the adonis-like features, the sculpted body, and the gorgeous, bronze curls. As I looked up into the emerald eyes of Edward fuck-hot Cullen, he smiled his beautiful, crooked smile.

Well I was fucked...

***

Edward's POV

I walked back to the canteen after an uncomfortable conversation with Lauren Mallory, who had basically told me that she was hot in bed, and that I should ditch Tanya for her. When I'd cooly refused her offer, she'd had the bloody nerve to say that I should get Dr. Schmitz to give me a new lab partner, or Tanya was going to make Bella wish she was dead.

Let's just say my reply had been accompanied by more than a few profanities.

Needless to say, I was in a bad mood already. I was about to go into the lunch hall to get myself something to eat, because my stomach was complaining like a fucker, when Tanya stalked out with Victoria in tow, heads bent together as they muttered. All I caught was Bella's name, and my name. Well, 'Eddie', as Tanya insisted on calling me. It's fucking annoying.

Tanya looked up when she saw me, and glared. Gee. Way to make a guy feel wanted.

"That bitch is going down Eddie," Tanya hissed, eyes blazing.

I knew exactly who she was talking about.

"Leave Bella alone Tanya," I snapped, "She's my lab partner, and my friend. Deal with it."

I walked swiftly past the two girls, fuming. They stood there, seeming to be speechless. Good. I entered the canteen and heard a few people discussing Bella and Tanya. Marcus and Felix, two guys from the football team, were placing bets on who would win in the end.

"Tanya will knock Bella's head off! Bella's got no chance," Marcus said with a slight sneer. What the fuck did he have against Bella?

"No way," Felix argued, "Bella's got Rosalie on her side. Tanya's going down!"

Ignoring their arguments, I moved through the crowds of people to the table my family usually sat at. Sometimes I'd drag Tanya with me to sit with my family, but more often than not I'd give in and go sit with the other cheerleaders that thrust their boobs in my face.

Come to think of it, Tanya usually ignored their fruitless attempts at flirting with me. So why the fuck did she have it in for Bella? For God's sake, the girl just arrived at this shitty place. And Forks High was shitty. Small school, so everyone knew everything, and there was no way to avoid anybody for long, however hard you tried. Not to mention the bastards that roamed the hallways.

Ugh.

Tanya was becoming a real bitch. She'd been heading that way for several months. She'd snap, she'd whine, she'd be bloody annoying. But as soon as Isabella Swan stepped into Forks High, totally ignorant to what lay the other side of the doors, she was tipped over the edge. From what Rosalie had said, Bella had really stood up to Tanya and Victoria when they tried to make her one of Tanya's followers.

I didn't know why that made me smile so much. I mean, Tanya's my girlfriend. Bella's just a girl that has become my friend. Well, I thought we were friends. Perhaps I'd find her on Facebook...

I pulled out a chair quietly at our usual table, just in time to hear Rosalie say something about 'a damn brave one'. I was slightly surprised to see Angela Webber and Ben Cheney at our table, but as soon as I sat down, I understood, as Bella was sitting there too. She and Alice had become quite close over the last few days, and Bella seemed to be even closer to Angela and Ben.

She seemed to be deep in thought, and didn't notice at first when I sat down. I paid little attention to the conversation going on around me, instead watching Bella in a strange fascination. She looked up suddenly, and her face darkened as her eyes travelled up to meet mine. Well let's face it, I'm tall, and she's average. It was to be expected that her eyes travelled upwards. Thankfully, she wasn't undressing me with her eyes as many girls seemed to.

As her brown eyes met mine, I couldn't help but smile. She didn't return it, and my smile faltered a little. Bella seemed even more embarrassed, though I had no idea why.

"Hey Edward," she said quietly, seeming slightly guilty. Why? I had no idea.

"Hi Bella."

Nice Cullen. Nice.

Jasper was watching us carefully, a small smile on his lips as he tuned out everything Alice was saying. Jasper was definitely charismatic, and he had this strange way of being able to tell what you were really feeling. Obviously, this wasn't one-hundred percent accurate, but he knew when you were hiding something.

As did I, for that matter. I could sense when people were lying, and I was generally sensitive to their true thoughts. It wasn't really strange, I suppose you could say I had a different kind of charisma. I knew, for instance, that Rosalie had been right when she'd said there was something Bella wasnt telling us. Jasper and I weren't anything like the weirdest in our family though.

Alice. She was something else. Of course, she was hyper, excitable, and mad, but she wasn't just utterly crazy. She also had this strange way of seeing things. It was almost like she could tell the future. She was exceedingly sensitive to how people's decisions would affect their futures, and she sometimes got wrapped up in it in the most disconcerting way. It was like the events were being played out in her head. This piece of information about Alice was kept strictly amongst family and close friends. Kate and Irina, fro example, knew of Alice's strange ways, but Tanya did not. Nobody except me trusted Tanya to keep a secret like that. Hell, I wasn't entirely sure I did.

The bell resounded through the canteen, snapping me quickly from my daydreams. I glanced across to Bella, who had been chatting with Angela and Rosalie, and decided I may as well walk to biology with her. We were friends after all. Emphasis on the third word. Bella stood up and grabbed her bag. I smiled at her, and we walked from the lunch hall together, having bid everyone else goodbye.

"What's wrong Bella?" I asked quietly.

"What d'you mean? Nothing," she said, a little too brightly.

"Why we're you so embarrassed earlier?"

She sighed.

"I suppose you'll find out soon enough anyway. I may have grabbed your girlfriend before she hit Irina," she said bitterly. The whole sentence was bitter, but on 'your girlfriend', her voice became hard and cold. Apparently Tanya's threats had made Bella hate her. Well fucking great.

That wasn't really what was bothering me though.

"Tanya tried to hit Irina?" I asked incredulously, "Her own sister?"

Bella just nodded as we entered the classroom. I pulled my crap from my bag and rested my head in one hand, massaging my temples gently. If all this drama surrounding Tanya went on, I'd give myself a brain haemorrhage.

"Why was she so annoyed with Irina?" I asked.

"Tanya was accusing me of stealing you," she replied, hiding behind her hair.

Did Tanya not understand? I'd never cheat on her, and it was fucking up to me if I broke up with her and dated Bella or not. Not that I was planning to do that any time soon.

"I'll talk to her," I said at last. I looked over at Bella, who had a hard expression on her face. She let out a sigh, and muttered quietly under her breath. Bella hadn't yet learnt that I had impeccable hearing. Her words certainly didn't escape my sharp ears.

"Like that's going to help."

***

**A/N**

**Uh huh. Edward's about to make everything a whole lot worse for poor Bella. And she certainly is a poor girl. She's got it all going for her hasn't she? The Blacks, Tanya, Victoria, her secret little crush on Edward... I assure you, it'll get better for her eventually. I believ in HEA. **

**I'd just like to say, I'm not a robot. Though I love the support, saying 'When will you update?' or 'You have to update' only serves to piss me off. I don't mind 'Love it, can't wait for the next update' because that's different. But begging for updates makes me angry. I do have a life. Thank you!**

**Lucy xX**


	10. Chapter 10-A Clever Game

**A/N**

**I had two people point out to me that Bella could get pregnant with the rape, and I realised that although in my head she was on birth-control, I never actually mentioned it in the story. I will add that in somewhere at some point, just to clear that up!**

**Thanks!**

**Lucy xX**

***

Alice's POV

I sat on the island in the middle of our kitchen, swinging my legs in time to the music drifting from the radio as Esme prepared dinner. Though to an outsider, it would look like I was sitting in brooding silence, thinking about fashion or something - for that is one of my favourite topics - but my thoughts were far from the assortment of shops in Seattle that I'd be visiting at the weekend with Jasper.

No. My thoughts were on Bella.

I hadn't been surprised by what Rosalie had said at lunch, and I hadn't been surprised by Bella's reaction. There was something going on with the Blacks. I didn't know exactly what it was, but there was something to do with them that was upsetting her. Jasper had an inkling of it too, but I'm not sure that he realised it.

I had no idea what to do. How could I explain to somebody I'd know for just four days that I could sense things about the future? How could I explain how I knew something about the Blacks when I hardly knew myself? And how could I keep her secret, when it was so obviously upsetting her? I liked Bella, and I wanted to help, but I had no idea how to approach the topic. I was afraid of how my family would behave if I told them too. I didn't know what they'd do.

Usually, if I sensed something of this magnitude, and I was unsure of what to do, I'd talk to Edward. He was my brother, biologically, and he was sensible with what I told him. He'd never accidentally betray my trust, not even to Esme, whom he had a very close relationship with. He'd listen to my problem, and do his best to help. It didn't always help the situation much, but it always made me feel like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the best idea to involve Edward. Against my suggestions, he'd spoken to Tanya about her behaviour towards Bella, and the bitch was about to make Bella's life even worse. Due to this, I knew that his relationship with Bella would become strained, and their trust in each other could become shattered, depending on their future actions. While Edward was like this, there was no telling what he'd do. He almost certainly wouldn't be of much help. Edward tended to over-think things to the tenth degree, or not think at all. Speaking to Tanya was obviously more a case of the latter, but he also seemed to be ignorant to the fact that Tanya wanted to hear him bitching about Bella, not defending her. The conversation had helped no-one - it had merely made his strained relationship with his girlfriend even more... strained.

"What's got you so quiet Alice?" Esme asked with a slightly concerned expression. It would strike my mother as odd that I wasn't chatting nineteen-to-the-dozen, and I should have guessed that shed comment on it. There was no way out. I couldn't lie to my mother - she always saw right through me.

"Tanya isn't helping," I said.

I wasn't lying, I just wasn't telling her the whole truth.

"I see," Esme replied, knowing I didn't want to share my thoughts, "Is Bella coming to the game tomorrow?"

"Yes," I said, remembering her and Angela discussing it before Bella and Edward went off to biology.

"That's nice. Has Tanya been giving her any more trouble?"

I groaned and put my head in my hands. I told Esme briefly about Tanya's go at Irina and Kate, and then about Edward talking to Tanya about her actions towards Bella. Esme clucked her tongue and shook her head.

"Have I taught that boy nothing?"

"Clearly not," came Emmett's voice from the door, "He's dating Queen Bitch."

Esme didn't chastise him for his language. She never did when we were discussing Tanya. I think it was mainly because she agreed entirely with the nickname given to Tanya by Rosalie, and Esme thought Edward was an idiot to be dating Tanya. Though of course she knew that Edward was blissfully unaware of all Tanya wrong-doings.

I really hoped it wouldn't be for long.

"Where is Edward?" Esme asked.

"Sulking in his room," Rosalie replied, snuggling into Emmett's embrace, before submitting to his kiss. There are some things a girl just doesn't want to watch. Awkwardly, despite the fact that I was used to the couple's expressive actions, I slipped past them as Emmett let out a throaty groan and darted upstairs to Edward's room. My brother needed setting straight.

I knocked softly on his door, and waited, one hand on my hip, the other poised to knock again. Edward had an irritating habit of listening to music so loudly everything else was blocked out, other noises and this thoughts alike. To my surprise, the door was opened within a few seconds, to reveal a tired-looking Edward.

He opened the door wider, and I walked in, sitting on his couch in silence. He ran a hand through his dishevelled hair and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Both were sure signs he was stressed. Then again, who wouldn't be with Tanya as their girlfriend?

"I take it your conversation with Tanya didn't go so well?" I asked, keeping my voice soft for the moment. I'd show him how angry I was in a moment.

"No."

"Did you actually think it would make anything better? She wants to hear you hating on Bella, not asking her to play nice. She thinks Bella's out to grab you. She hates Bella. It's going to get worse now," I said, my voice hardening in fury.

"What should I have done?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. The truth was I didn't have an answer. What should he have done? My immediate reaction was to say 'break up with Tanya', but that wouldn't help the situation. Well, perhaps it would, but Edward wanted to see Tanya's bad side for himself. Which, I suppose, was fair enough.

The poor girl though. Bella hid her secret crush on Edward very well, not openly fawning over him like most girls did, but she was clearly flustered when around him, and she got this cute blush on her face when they spoke to each other. It was really rather sweet. Bella would be so much better for Edward than Tanya, but I doubted that would happen soon. Edward was too blind to see what was right in front of him.

Perhaps I'd invite Bella to the diner after the match against O'Dea. It would give me a chance to get to know her better, and she could spend some more time with Edward. Cue evil grin. But then again, she'd have to deal with Queen Bitch and Victoria. Lauren would probably be there too, and it was clear Lauren didn't like Bella. Why? I had no freaking idea.

"Well?" Edward asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Sorry. I- I really don't know Edward," I admitted, "Tanya's playing a clever game."

Apparently, it was the wrong time to say that. Edward was clearly not in the mood to put up with listening to any shit about his girl. Even if the shit was true. If I were in his position, I probably wouldn't want to hear shit about Jazz either. I used 'shit' three times in that sentence. Not good...

"Will you shut the fuck up about Tanya? I'm fed up of this Alice! You all say she's some gold-digging bitch, and yet I haven't seen any evidence of her cruel side!"

"Really?" Rosalie asked from the doorway. I hadn't even noticed she'd come in.

"What the hell do you mean?" Edward growled.

"Tanya's demanding you switch lab partners-"

"She's over-protective."

Rosalie snorted at his reply.

"Right. She's bitching about Bella-"

"Do you like everyone?"

"No, but I don't kill Jessica every time she throws Emmett a glance. She's being a bitch to you, she spends her time demanding expensive dates and fancy gifts, she's rude to everyone except you-"

"I've yet to hear any of that."

I cut the pair off before they ended up tearing each other's heads off. Not that it wouldn't be entertaining to watch, but who could I go shopping with? Perhaps I'd drag Bella along eventually, but she'd said at lunch that she hated shopping. Well, her loss.

"As I said Edward, Tanya's playing a very clever game."

"No, sh-"

"Bull shit," Rosalie snapped, "That bitch is going down Cullen. Whether you fucking like it or not."

With her final, furious words, Rosalie flounced back out of the room, flicking her long, blond hair over her shoulder and slamming the door loudly. If he didn't already, Edward now knew the extent at which Rosalie hated Tanya. I think she spoke for the entire household, save my dear, ignorant brother.

The whole thing was getting really out of hand.

***

Bella's POV

As I headed to biology on my own on Friday, I did a mental fist-bump. I'd managed to avoid an encounter with Tanya or Victoria, and I'd even managed not to fall over thin air. The morning had really been going very well. So well in fact, I soukd have known something would go wrong.

Just before I turned down the corridor that would take me to my biology classroom, a hand, sporting shiny, ruby-red fingernails that were far too sharp and long, lay itself on my lower arm and spin me around roughly. I knew who it would be before I saw them, so I plastered a fierce glare on my face. Tanya might intimidate the hell out of me, but I could pretend she didn't.

"Bitch," Tanya hissed.

Great. Edward had spoken to Tanya, it seemed. Fuck.

"Bitch," Tanya repeated, "You dare speak to Eddie? I remember telling you to change lab partners."

"I remember telling you to take it up with Edward," I replied, trying not to let my voice quiver. If I were being honest, I was trembling in my shoes, knees knocking. Tanya could be seriously intimidating.

"Bitch!" Tanya declared yet again.

"Low on vocabulary?"

Bad idea.

"Listen here Swan. Leave Eddie alone, or you will wish you were dead. Don't go making him tell me to play nice, bitch, because I won't. He's mine," she sneered. She turned on her stiletto-clad heel and left, her shoes clipping sharply on the floor, her nose in the air.

Shaking slightly after the terrifying encounter, I clutched my bag securely and hurried into class. Edward was already sitting down, and he was glancing nervously at the clock. Why he was nervous, I had no idea. As I set down, Edward avoided my gaze, instead immersing himself in his notes, written far more neatly than my scrawl, taken last lesson.

Edward had sent me a friend request on Facebook the previous night, and it made me far happier than I had been, having been raped for the fourth night in a row. Thank God Jacob made me take a pill, else I'd be pregnant with his revolting spawn within a week or two.

Anyway, from the friend request, I assumed that Edward considered us friends. Friends asked after each others well-being, right? I was allowed to ask him if he was ok, wasn't I? Nobody would start whispering? Oh damn them, I thought, just ask Bella. Taking a deep breath, I turned to Edward, whose beautiful green eyes were still on the page, clearly not taking in a word written there.

"Edward? What's wrong?" I asked, my voice quiet.

"Nothing," he said, far too quickly.

"Really?" I asked, allowing the skepticism to run clear in my tone of voice.

Edward let out a sigh, and ran a hand through his hair, which, it seemed, couldn't be tamed.

"I guess I owe you a bit of an apology," he began, leaving me confused, "I shouldn't have said anything to Tanya. I'm sorry if she behaves badly towards you."

Nobody could doubt his sincerity, but I couldn't understand how Edward failed to see how horrible Tanya was. I didn't have a chance to reply, for Dr. Schmitz started the lesson at that moment, cutting off all conversation with her presence. As we continued with our projects, I wanted nothing more than to continue talking to him, but I couldn't. Dr. Schmitz had ridiculously keen hearing, which was the bane of every biology lesson.

The bell rang, seemingly not long after I'd first picked up my pen, and I turned to put my stuff into my bag. The thick tension in the air could have been cut with a knife, and Edward wasn't helping the uncomfortable feeling as he avoided my gaze. With a sigh, I turned to him, rucksack slung over the shoulder that wasn't cut with Jacob's new purchase: a freaking whip.

Yup.

A bloody whip.

Literally.

A bloodied whip.

"Tanya's her own person Edward. To me, she seems like a freaking bitch, if I may be so bold, but her actions have nothing to do with you."

Edward ran his hand through his dishevelled hair, his eyes pained.

"I'm so confused," he whispered, sounding helplessly naïve, "Everyone's telling me Tanya is some bitch that's out to steal money, and trying to make everyone's life a misery, and I've got her telling me you're a boyfriend-stealing b-" Edward stopped suddenly, glancing at me. Though he hadn't actually said that Tanya spoke ill of me to him, I was exceedingly unsurprised.

"Bitch?" I supplied, "Why does that not surprise me?"

"If you asked her, she'd say it was because it's true. I just don't understand."

"Tanya's playing a clever game."

"That's what Alice said," he replied with a slight smile.

"Smart girl."

"I'm going to be honest, if it weren't for the fact that everyone else was saying it, I'd dismiss what you're saying immediately. I've been in a relationship with Tanya for several years, and I've known you for a few days. I feel like all the women in my life have gone mad."

"I understand Edward. You need to see her for yourself, whatever her true character may be. But please believe me - I've never lied to you. I never will," I said, truth ringing in my words. I would lie to Edward. Well, not about something of that importance.

We bid each other goodbye, and I met up with Alice, who was skipping along as usual, a slight smile on her face. I walked towards her, ignoring the dirty looks sent in my direction by Lauren, and she linked her arm with mine. Sure, Alice seemed to always be hyper and happy, but there was clearly something on her mind that was making her elated.

"What's got you happy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Alice blushed slightly, which confused me greatly. After a split seconds silence, she met my question.

"You and Edward spoke, didn't you?"

How on Earth did she know that? And even more so, why would that make her happy? We'd thrown our feelings out there a little, and Edward had explained why he didn't dive in and break up with Tanya, throwing her into some shitty dump in the process. I'd even managed to have a decent conversation with him without blushing or mumbling once. But I had no idea why that made Alice so happy.

"How d'you know that?" I asked at last, deciding to start with the simplest question.

Alice clearly didn't agree.

"All in good time Bella. But you must have made a little headway with Edward. Perhaps just given him something more to think about. He wasn't paying Tanya any attention earlier," Alice replied, her voice bubbling.

I walked into gym with a slightly lighter heart. Sure, Edward still believed Tanya to be essentially innocent, and had no idea about her true colours, but I'd established one thing. Perhaps it made the whole situation a little more difficult, for me at least, but it made me feel less burdened. I now understood the fluttery feelings I got around Edward. I didn't love him, not yet. I'd know him for just a few days.

But it was oh-so-close.


	11. Chapter 11-Shopping and Breaking

**A/N**

**I never plan ahead. Ever. That's why I spend so long editing chapters to get rid of any plot holes. With this story though, I've just spent two hours doing a plan (a long, quite detailed plan) for this book, which should be roughly thirty chapters, plus an epilogue... And then a sequel. Actually, I plan on this being a trilogy. The first book will focus mainly on E&B, and Bella's abuse. The second will probably be the most dramatic. I haven't planned the third yet, but I've made a note of all the things I've left unfinished in the second book. There will be one, just one, reoccurring 'baddy' in all three books. This person has just one goal... I'm not telling you what it is silly! Guess if you like, but I'm not going to say yes or no. **

**Just thought I'd let you guys know what's going on. Oh, and it will probably be a few years before I finish the series! Quick warning, this chapter contains a lot of swearing. Edward uses those words a lot. Oh no, that one's on me!**

**Lucy xX**

***

Shop-ping.

The purchasing of goods from stores.

No hassle, no busy people crushing their revolting, sweaty bodies against you, no too-short dresses that show too much cleavage thrown at you by some evil little pixie with a head full of black hair, and no blond bimbos staring at you as though you're some kind of alien from Mars that landed in a shiny, silver UFO in Arizona.

Guess the dictionary got it wrong.

Exactly a month and a half since I started Forks High, I was shopping with Alice for the first time. Let's just say it wasn't my idea of a fabulous Thursday night. I had told Alice that I needed to be home to cook for Billy by nine, but I hadn't said that I'd probably be beaten and raped if I didn't. My secret would be staying just that for a while yet.

A secret.

I'd planned on going to the game against O'Dea High on the Friday I joined Forks High - the dwelling of Queen Bitch - but one, I'd been kept home for Lord-knows what, and two, it had been rained off anyway. According to Edward, whom I had become pretty good friends with over the last six weeks, the field was, quote, 'like a drenched marsh'. For an exceedingly intelligent boy, that was a rubbish simile. Alice had also decided we'd go shopping that Saturday, but Rosalie had been unable to make it.

Apparently it wasn't a full Cullen shopping trip without Rosalie.

_Yay. Go me._

I sighed at Alice as she threw another dress over her shoulder in my direction, and picked it up. As I glanced up, I saw Angela standing by a mirror, holding a pretty necklace up to her neck. She was wearing a beautiful, lilac dress, that hugged her slim figure beautifully. It had a v-neck, but wasn't too low, and the material was gathered around a large strip of material that had been sewn on as a waist band. See, if I had to go shopping for a prom dress I'd never use - Swans don't dance - then I'd go with Angela. She shopped properly. No fuss, no pain, no trouble, no shit. Dress, shoes, jewellery, done. Perfect. But Alice... Oh Alice...

"Bella!" she squeaked, "Have you tried that red one on yet?"

"No," I replied with another sigh.

"Is there one of those in my size?" Rosalie asked me, staring at the material in my hands like a hawk. I trudged over to the rack I'd spotted Alice pulling the dress from, and ruffled through the items of clothing. There were two in Rosalie's size, but one had a large rip in the bodice. Nice. I pulled out the in-tact one, and passed it - noticed passed, not threw, as Alice would have done - to the blond beauty behind me.

"What about this one Alice?" Angela asked, holding up a lilac dress next to her. Alice walked over and frowned.

"You might need a bigger one Angel-"

"Not for me silly," Angela laughed, "I'm done. For you."

Alice looked mildly surprised, but took the dress from Angela with keen eyes. I watched in amusement as Alice nipped into the changing cubicle and came out a split second later, wearing a beautiful lilac dress. I had to give it to Angela, the dress suited Alice fantastically..

It had a sweetheart neckline, that fell to the floor and was slightly ruffled. It suited her petite figure perfectly. Rosalie, who had disappeared to try on the red dress I had handed her, came back wearing it, startling us all. She looked stunning. It was a deep red v-neck that trailed down to the bottom of her long legs, just revealing a pair of crazily high deep red heels. The person before me was not a girl going to prom in her last year, but a fully fledged woman. It seemed that when Rosalie got going, she shopped in my style.

Unfortunately, I hadn't had much chance to look at anything for myself. Rosalie walked over to me suddenly, back in her jeans and shirt, holding up a long dress. I was skeptical at first, but as I was ushered off to try it on, I fell in love. Literally.

It was long, and a deep blue. The skirt was flowing, and fell to my ankles, and hung straight down, although spun out when I twirled. It was one shouldered, but the sleeve was quite long, and just as floaty as the rest of the dress. It suited me perfectly, and according to Rosalie, it complimented my hair colour. I smiled, and bought it as it was on offer, God knows why. Prom wasn't for ages.

I grabbed a nice pair of silver shoes from the rack with a small heel, about an inch - I couldn't do anything else, I'd kill myself - and saw a really pretty pair of green earrings. I didn't want them for prom, particularly, but they were incredibly nice, and pretty cheap. They were emerald studs, with a golden outline in a wavy, circular shape. After paying for my stuff, hoping all the while Billy wouldn't notice it all, and particularly the price-tags, I turned back to see Alice whining about the shoes. I sighed and walked over to Angela, who was watching Alice bitch to Rosalie - Rosalie was blatantly ignoring Alice - with a slight twinkle in her beautiful, sepia eyes.

"Have you been shopping with Alice before?" I asked Angela. From what I understood, they'd always been friendly, but they'd never been friends before this year. I didn't know who Alice usually took shopping with her, but I knew I really didn't want t go again. I hated shopping. Even so, it was better than being used as Jacob's personal punch-bag...

"No," Angela said, shaking her head, "As I said, I wasn't friends with the Cullens until you came along and joined us together."

I smiled.

"I'm beginning to understand what Edward meant. She really was a force to be reckoned with. Especially when let lose in a shopping mall."

We both grimaced, and then laughed at the expressions on each other's faces. This only made us laugh harder. We kept up a steady stream of conversation for the next ten minutes, and Rosalie eventually joined us after deeming herself 'bored' of shopping for Alice. I found Rosalie slightly intimidating, but I liked her all the same. It was better now I knew her, and could have a conversation with her that wasn't awkward of embarrassing.

"Is Alice always this bad?" Angela asked.

"Usually worse. She's on her best behaviour for you two."

Rosalie laughed at the horrified expression on my face.

"How is it possible to be worse?" I asked, shocked.

"She'll drag you along again Bella, and you can experience it first hand."

I shivered at the thought. If only I had a nice boyfriend to save me...

Like Edward.

Uh huh. My crush on the guy hadn't diminished. If anything, my near-love for Edward had grown. I still didn't love him - how could I? I'd known him for less than two months - but it was very close. So close it was almost tangible. Unfortunately, I knew that we could never be. The Edwards of the world went for the Tanyas, not the Bellas. Insert sad sigh here.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Angela asked, nudging me playfully. Immediately, I blushed bright scarlet. Internally, I screamed at my body for giving me away like that, but I immediately shut myself up, because talking to yourself I supposed to be the first sign of madness...

"You got it bad Bella," Angela said with a sneaky grin.

I blushed even redder, if possible.

"Hang on! Back up! Bella's got it bad for who?" Rosalie asked, raising an eyebrow.

I had to admit, I was very glad that my secret wasn't that obvious. I had been very worried that someone other than Angela, who now knew me very well, would be able to tell. It seemed, however, that they couldn't. Rosalie spent quite a lot of time with me, and she didn't seem to know. I was exceedingly relieved to find out this little piece of information.

This was shattered when Alice answered.

"Edward."

I glared at her, and Rosalie sniggered.

"You and the rest of the female population of Forks."

I mumbled under my breath, but my words were not coherent. Alice was shooting Rosalie disapproving looks, and shaking her head vehemently. I looked between the two as they exchanged their silent conversation, and then a look of sudden understanding crossed Rosalie's face.

"Care to share?" Angela asked.

"Nope," Alice said, popping the 'p'. Rosalie seemed to look a little smug, and a little surprised. I had no idea why, but she definitely did. She also kept shooting me strange glances, as though trying to decipher a puzzle. I was worried that she'd found out more of my secret, but immediately dismissed that. Unless she had very good friends in La Push, there was no way of her knowing anything.

"Go back to shopping Alice, the store closes in half an hour," Rosalie said with a grin. Alice let out a shriek and returned to the racks of shoes, rifling through them desperately trying to find something, moaning and groaning all the while. We all sniggered at her, but she wasn't to be deterred. About five minutes before the shop closed, Alice came to us smiling, but empty-handed, save for the bag that contained her dress.

"I can just wear those nice champagne-coloured Jimmy Choos I've got," Alice said, smiling. My mouth fell open. Firstly, she'd kept us here for ages while she searched for a pair of freaking shoes, before deciding she'd wear a pair she already owned, and secondly, she owned a pair of Jimmy Choos. Holy hell. I knew that the family came from money, but I had no idea they earned enough to but their youngest daughter the most expensive kind of shoes in freaking existence...

"You kept us here for an hour before deciding you have shoes?" Angela asked incredulously.

"And you own a pair of _Jimmy Choos_?" I asked in the same tone of disbelief.

Alice grinned at us.

"Yes and yes. Get used to it."

I glanced at my watch and swore quietly under my breath, my heart racing. I'd be home later than nine, and Billy was going to be furious. Alice was watching me with a strange expression, which worried me more than a little, but neither Angela nor Rosalie seemed to have noticed my near-silent round of cursing.

Thankfully.

"Is it ok if we head back now?" I practically begged Alice.

"Sure," she replied, and we followed her out of the shop, after thanking the guy at the cash register. I didn't know why a guy would work in a dress shop, but then again, perhaps he liked seeing girls and women in pretty dresses... Slut.

We had taken Rosalie's BMW M3 convertible, as Alice's car only seated two, and I didn't have a car. Angela offered to drive, but Rosalie basically ignored her offer, and drove us there instead. Admittedly, Rosalie got me home in record time - I learnt how fast the Cullens drive on that shopping trip - and I certainly wasn't complaining. A steady stream of chatter was kept up through the tedious journey, and Alice played pop music quietly.

"See you tomorrow Bella?" Angela asked, as Alice hugged me goodnight.

"Where else would I be?"

"Fair enough. Don't forget the match tomorrow!" she called as I headed towards the house. I shot her the thumbs up and mouthed goodbye to Rosalie again, who was waving. I watched her turn round neatly, and smiled at her good driving. I turned on my heel and headed into the house, checking my watch. I was just in time, thank God.

Billy sneered as I entered, and I rushed upstairs to put my bags down before he started shouting at me and hitting me. If I was lucky, I'd escape any rape from Jacob. The whole thing still disgusted me no end. Jacob was fifteen, for crying out loud. I doubted it was even legal to have sex with permission at fifteen. Hell, I knew it wasn't in England.

I sprinted back downstairs and set about in the kitchen, making dinner for Jacob and Billy quickly. I'd had the foresight to prepare a lamb stew in the morning, so I just had to heat it up and boil the potatoes. I shoved the pot on the stove, and poured water over the potatoes that I had peeled and chopped in the morning. It took less than fifteen minutes to cook, by which time I had laid the table and served drinks. I piled everything onto plates, rationing my own portion of course, and carried all three into the dining room. As usual, I waited for Jacob and Billy to start eating before I did.

"This doesn't work badly Girl. You going out and acting normal before you come home," Billy said, "Keep wearing make-up and we'll be safe with our little secret eh?"

_The man was delusional. _

I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak. I finished my meagre portion and cleared up, before whipping upstairs to do my homework. Miraculously, it seemed that I had escaped any form of abuse that day. It was the first time that had happened in a year or so, at least. Perhaps life was finally giving me something to feel happy about.

***

Edward's POV

I was beginning to feel more and more like the thirteen-year-old boy that had first moved to Forks by the day. The one full of rude sarcasm, pessimism, and the one that swore every other word. Every little thing was driving me insane. Tanya was, to be frank, becoming a whiny bitch, and Bella... Oh that girl was going to be the death of me.

She walks around wearing the clothes given to her by my fashionista sister, ignorant to the difficulty every boy in the school has as they try not to drool over her. I was no different, I was sad to say. Unfortunately, I wasn't just thinking that she looked good in the skimpy shorts and shaped, gorgeous shirts my sister stuck her in. Don't get me wrong, she did, but there was something else. Whenever she got too close to me in biology, it would evoke these strange feelings inside me. Horrible feelings that made my thoughts turn to her before I slept at night, and while on a date with my girlfriend.

I was so confused.

Not just about the fluttery feelings in my chest, but about Tanya. I had everyone telling me she was a fucking bitch. Sure, I'd seen some of that bitchiness, but I'd never seen it to the extent I was told of, and it had never been directed at one person. And yet, Bella had told me Tanya was threatening her, and Alice had backed up her story. Hell, all of my siblings had. To say I was confused was a bloody understatement. I was freaking clueless.

"Edward!" Esme called from downstairs, "Aren't you picking Tanya up now?"

_Shit._

"Yeah. Coming mom!"

With a loud groan, I threw on a decent blue shirt and a pair of clean jeans, before sprinting downstairs. I kissed Esme on the cheek as I left, leaving her lightly dazed. With the shitty moods Tanya had been in for the past... - well since Bella and I became lab-partners - I needed to be on time. I jumped into my silver Volvo and keyed the engine, slamming my foot down on the gas pedal. Luckily, us Cullens always drive like insane idiots. Speed-wise that is.

I arrived at Tanya's in record time, and rung the bell. She flung the door open and wrapped her arms around my neck, peppering my face and lips with kisses. Impatiently, I peeled her off of me and told her we needed to go or we'd be late for our reservation. She asked to go to some fucking expensive restaurant in Seattle, and if she wanted to get there on time she needed to stop with the insane kisses. I'd seen her three hours ago for Christ's sake!

We drove in silence, except for when I remembered to say that she looked pretty. The glare on her face told me that I should have said something earlier, but I'd be damned if I'd let the bitch get the better of me. In all honesty, Tanya looked like a complete slut. Well, according to my siblings, she was, but that was beside the point.

Her dress was hot pink, and really clashed with her ruby-red nails. It had v-shaped neckline, that showed at least half of her breasts. It was far too tight, and made her look like she had an enormous butt, which she obviously didn't. Tanya was the skinniest person alive, except for Bella. Bella puzzled me in more ways than one. The dress ended very high up her thighs. When she sat down, it wouldn't be difficult to see right up her dress. She was wearing a pair of fucking high black stilettos, which also looked stupid. She wore far too much make-up, and it had been smudged slightly. I wanted to point it out to her, but she'd almost certainly screech at me.

We arrived at the bloody expensive place, and I opened my car door after parking. I waited for Tanya to get herself out of the car for a moment. When she didn't I walked round and opened her door with a sigh. Tanya shot me a glare and huffed as she climbed out, her dress riding up a little bit.

"Problem with the door?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level.

"It's polite to open my door."

_Fuck her._

"You've never insisted on it before today."

Tanya ignored my comment, and wrapped her arm around my waist, dragging my body against the side of hers. Her long nails dug into my flesh, but I knew better than to argue. I placed my arm around her tiny, starved waist, and we walked into the restaurant.

A guy of about twenty stood at the door, and he shot Tanya a supposedly-seducing grin. The similar smile that Tanya shot back had me surprised, and more than a little angry. What the fucking shit was she doing? I asked for a table for two, gritting my teeth all the while, and hoped to hell he didn't serve us. The bastard. Unfortunately, my prayers were not answered.

We placed our orders, and I tried to ignore the looks our waiter was shooting my fucking girlfriend. If Rose were here, she'd almost certainly make some stupid remark about Tanya going to fuck him later tonight, after I'd dropped her back home. I was, I had to admit, beginning to doubt Tanya's loyalty to our relationship. And she sure as hell knew how to push my buttons. She did it extremely fucking well.

"So Eddie," she purred, causing me to roll my eyes. She knew I hated that name.

"What?" I snapped. Tanya pouted, sticking her lipstick-clad lip out.

Ugh.

"Have you switched lab-partners yet? That Swan girl is bad for you."

"'That Swan girl' is my fucking friend. As I've told you before, you cannot tell me who I can and can't be friends with. It's not fair."

Tanya seemed to have trouble understanding the word no. It was annoying the shit out of me.

"Oh really?" Tanya snarled, raising an eyebrow, "She's bad, Eddie. You never acted like this before she came along."

Neither did you, I thought, a near-silent growl emitting from my throat.

"Excuse me?" she shrieked.

Crap. Apparently I'd said that out loud.

"I've had it with this Eddie. You go round and say you're some devoted boyfriend, but I bet to fucking hell that you go around with girls behind my back. And it's all Swan's fault. Before she came along, you were perfectly honest. And that fucking bitch of a sister you have, Rosalie..."

_Fuck no. She did not just insult Rose._

I slammed my fist down in the table in anger.

"Shut up Tanya! You act like some high and mighty queen, and yet this is how you behave behind closed doors? I actually cared for you. I actually thought you weren't so bad. You've been the subject of more arguments in my household than anything else. I never believed anything people said about you, not really. And then tonight," I shook my head in disgust, "You go behaving like that. You insult me. You insult my friends. And then you go and insult my fucking family? Do you seriously think I'm going to stand for your shit?" my voice rose to nearly a shout.

"Eddie," Tanya whined, but I cut her off.

"We're leaving. Come on," I said, throwing some money onto the table and dragging my girlfriend out by the arm.

"Eddie," Tanya whined again once outside.

"Don't call me that," I snapped, "You know I hate it."

I let out a long sigh.

"Look Tanya, we've been together for years, and people have always told me you were a first-class bitch. I didn't believe them. Hell, I still don't really. But I think we need to take a break. We can't go on like this."

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger and waited for the onslaught and the screeching. I ran a hand through my hair nervously, and looked up to Tanya, who was going from pale to red, red to purple, purple to green, and green to white. Well fuck.

"What?" she screeched, exceedingly loudly, "You're breaking up with me?"

I sighed.

"No. But I want to take a break. I need time to think things through."

"Fine. But when you come back, and you will come back, I'm going to have to make some major changes. Starting with Swan."

"If you so much as think of hurting Bella-" I began, but I was cut off. Tanya was in full bitch mode, and I seriously hated it. It seemed that the things I'd been told by my friends and family for the last however many years hasn't been much of an exaggeration.

"Don't waste your breath Eddie. If I want to make someone's life a misery, I will. It won't just be Swan, rest assured."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I felt a restraining hand rest on my shoulder. I looked across to see Chief Masen, Charlie. He was good friends with Carlisle, still, and the two went fishing often, with some guy called Harry that lived in La Push. I wonder absent-mindedly whether Bella knew Leah, his daughter...

"What's going on here Edward?" Charlie asked. I wondered momentarily why he was in Settle at this time, but as he wasn't wearing his uniform, I assumed he was out with Renee, his wife. It'd be far nicer to eat out for him. Renee's food was... Experimental.

"Nothing," Tanya said, bringing out her sickly-sweet voice. Charlie wasn't fooled.

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "I heard some good threats directed towards 'that Swan girl'. I presume you're talking about Bella?"

There was something in his voice that I couldn't quite lay my finger in as he spoke about Bella. I nodded in answer to his question, and I didn't really listen to what he said to Tanya. Did Charlie know Bella? It would make sense, as he was friends with Harry Clearwater, who lived in La Push...

"Shall I drive Tanya home for you Edward?" Charlie asked.

"Thank you Charlie, that'd be great."

"See you at the game. I'll be watching you win."

"We'll try our best," I said with a wry grin.

***

"Edward!"

A whirl of black hair smashed into me, hugging me tightly. I hugged my sister back, smiling at her enthusiasm. I assumed she knew I'd decided to take a break from Tanya, and I could tell that she was glad. Though Alice tried her best to act civil around Tanya, it was obvious to me that she had to restrain herself from ripping Tanya's head off.

"Look who grew a backbone," Rose said from the porch. I noticed that my entire family, minus Carlisle, who was working a night-shift, was gathered on the porch.

"I'm not breaking up with her Rose," I answered.

"Yet," Emmett said with a sneaky grin.

"Now her façade has slipped enough for you to glimpse her true colours, she'll struggle to contain herself. It won't be long before you catch her in the act of insulting someone properly," Alice said.

"Probably Bella," Jasper added with a sigh.

The thought scared me slightly. Alice had said that I'd only glimpsed her true colours. Did that mean that Tanya really was as bad as people made her out to be, or was Alice just exaggerating again? And what Jasper had said about Bella... It made my heart clench t think of someone hurting a girl so innocent and nice... and beautiful.

If things carried on like this, I'd be single in a week.

***

See the prom outfits of our girls!

Angela's prom . /itm/BNWT-GRECIAN-Lilac-Jewel-Chiffon-Maxi-Long-Pr om-Evening-Bridesmaid-Dress-8-18-/111015946911

Angela's listing/113287593/vintage-size-10-lilac-purple-eel -skin

Alice's prom . ?ge2_var=1&utm_expid=20991081-4

Alice's .

Rosalie's prom . ?ge2_var=1&utm_expid=20991081-4

Rosalie's

Bella's prom . ?utm_expid=20991081-4

Bella's


	12. Chapter 12-The Game

Bella's POV

I climbed out of Alice's yellow Porsche on the morning of the game, feeling elated. I couldn't wait to watch the match, and see Edward in his full glory on the pitch in uniform. Neither Billy nor Jacob had laid a finger on me the night before, which added to my good mood. Jasper had noticed my unusual mood, and had already commented on it. Alice had said nothing, as though she knew the causes of my happiness. She probably realised that I couldn't wait to see Edward tonight, but she couldn't know about Billy and Jacob, surely?

I looked across the parking lot in the bright sunshine - another addition to my contentment - and searched for Angela and Ben, and Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie's red convertible was in the parking lot, being drooled over by a load of car-obsessed boys, and Angela and Ben were sharing short, sweet kisses by her car, and I smiled to myself. They were really sweet together.

Feeling like a bit of a Peeping Tom watching them, I diverted my attention and looked around the area for Edward. I saw him just as he climbed out of his Volvo, looking delicious in a pair of jeans and his football jersey. It wasn't until he came nearer to us that I saw the deep, dark bags under his eyes. He kept his head down as he trudged across the concrete towards us, and he was slightly hunched. I felt my heart constrict painfully in my chest, and wanted to reach out to him.

I looked around for Tanya, wondering if I could get away with hugging him. Friends hugged each other, didn't they? I saw Tanya standing around holding court with a load of her followers, shooting Edward angry, cold glances as she did so. I looked to Alice to information, but she shook her head. Edward was just a few paces away, so I turned to him instead.

"Morning Edward," I said quietly.

Edward mumbled a greeting, accompanied by a pained sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," he said, keeping his eyes away from mine.

"Like fuck," Alice said with a snort, "She'll hear about it the second she steps inside the school. She wants the truth, and she needs a heads up before Tanya completely destroys her life."

"Way to make me feel comfortable Alice," I said sarcastically. She just grimaced at me.

"I decided to take a break with Tanya. I'm not breaking up with her, necessarily, but she wasn't too happy about it. She showed me what a bitch she can be on our date last night. And apparently she's going to destroy you. And others."

I blinked once, my brain not comprehending what Edward was telling me. He was taking a break from Tanya? Sure, that didn't mean he'd give me a second glance as a potential girlfriend, but at least he was no longer with Queen Bitch. Well, he was at the moment, but Tanya would lose it now. It'd only be a few days before she really showed herself up. The break-up wouldn't be pretty... Not pretty at all. I feared slightly for Edward's safety.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I wasn't sorry he'd taken a break with her, but I was sorry that he felt so bad afterwards. I guessed Tanya would be giving him a rather hard time now.

Edward shot me a small smile.

"I need to think things over."

"I understand Edward."

Edward let out another sharp sigh that tugged at my heart. I contemplated whether or not to hug him. Sure, friends hugged each other, but Queen Bitch and her followers weren't far away at all. But then again, according to Alice, Tanya was about to completely ruin my life anyway. Oh they could go to hell...

Feeling brave, I took a slight step forwards and hugged Edward gently. He wrapped his arms round my waist and I wrapped mine around his neck. I savoured the moment for a few seconds. Hugging Edward felt amazing, and I never wanted to leave his arms. I felt my hair shift, and I suddenly realised that Edward had buried his face in my hair. I felt Edward shake slightly in my arms, and I guessed that he was trying not to cry. I didn't know exactly why he was crying, but I knew that sometimes emotions about everything in life, plus stress, all catch up on you. I was an expert at that kind of stuff, after all, it's what my life was built on.

Slowly, Edward pulled away from me. Tears shone in his eyes, but he seemed to have himself under control as I watched them drain away and evaporate in the warm air. I was held by Edward's beautiful, emerald-green eyes, and I had to prevent myself from doing something I'd regret. Like kissing him.

"Thank you," Edward whispered.

"What for?" I asked softly.

"Being there."

_Aw._

_That was sweet._

_Too sweet._

"I probably shouldn't have done that though, Tanya will murder me. But according to your sister, I'm going to die before tonight anyway," I said with a slight smile. Edward chuckled, and I made a vow then and there to make Edward laugh again. The sound was nearly as gorgeous as his eyes...

Bella Swan! I chastised myself as the four of us walked into the building. Edward might have taken a break from Tanya, but he was still technically her boyfriend. I could have those kinds of thoughts when he changed his status from 'taken' to 'single' in about a week. Well, that's when I assumed Tanya would slip up. For the moment, I had to behave.

It almost felt like a normal day as I sat down in English in between Angela and Jessica. The only thing that stopped me forgetting that I wasn't a normal teenager was the continual ache along my shoulder and across my back where Jacob's whip had left an all-mighty gash a few nights ago. I listened to Mr. Banner and smiled when he said we'd be reading 'Wuthering Heights', which was the book Leah had bought me. It was my favourite book of all time. I knew it off by heart, more or less.

"I hate the classics," Jessica groaned.

"It's my favourite book ever," I said with a laugh and a blush.

Jessica and Angela both gave me identical looks of disbelief, and I didn't even try to defend myself. It was strange to enjoy the classics at our age, I knew that. But what the hell? Who cares?

"Did you hear that Edward and Tanya have taken a break?" Angela asked Jessica.

"Yeah. How long d'you think it'll be before they break up?"

"A week perhaps. Tanya will slip up soon," I said.

Jessica laughed.

"Who knew you could be optimistic?"

I shook my head at her. We were meant to be reading the first chapter, but nobody was. Not that I needed to. I knew the story-line perfectly.

"Mike's staring at you Jess," Angela whispered. We all giggled, and Mike looked away, blushing furiously.

The lesson ended, and Angela and I made our way to calc. I sat down with a groan, and pulled of my books. Angela had been helping me immensely with calc, and in return I'd been helping her with Spanish. It worked well, and my grades had gone up to Cs and Bs, instead of Ds. Equally, Angela's grades in Spanish had gone up in similar ways. It was really great, having friends.

Particularly friends as hot, gorgeous, sweet and amazing as Edward Cullen, said a snide voice in the back of my head. I dismissed the thoughts quickly, and focused my full attention on the stupidly difficult stuff I had to do for the next hour. Seriously, who used all this? The whole subject was stupid...

The bell rang after what seemed like hours, and Angela snickered at my relief. I shot her a glare.

"It's Spanish now," I reminded her, sobering her up instantly.

"Well fuck," she muttered.

"It's not that bad," I said, slightly reproachfully.

"Uh uh. Look ahead."

I did so, and nearly gave myself a heart attack. For standing by the lockers, smirking at me as she picked invisible dirt from her nails, was Tanya, flanked by Victoria. Once again, I wondered why Victoria followed Tanya around like a lost puppy so much, but I didn't ponder the question much, as I had a feeling my life was about to end.

I'd die here, in this miserable corridor at Forks High. I'd die in the dwelling of Queen Bitch. I'd never see Edward dump Tanya on her stinking ass, and I'd never get a shot at him for myself. I'd never be able to say I escaped Billy and Jacob either. And Angela, poor Angela. She'd be a casualty of war. I hoped like hell her parents would forgive me for getting her killed. Then again, just perhaps I could get her to run...

"So Swan," Tanya drawled, "Do you actually think you can break up Eddie and I?"

I didn't answer.

"You bitch! He's mine. He belongs to me. You might be under some delusion that you are so much better than me, but you're not. I'm prettier, richer and smarter. Eddie is mine. He will never be yours. Don't you fucking talk to him again you bitch, or I will ruin your pathetic little life," she snarled.

Victoria stood there with a fake smirk plastered on her face. I looked deep into her eyes, and saw the hate and resentment there as she watched Tanya. Victoria didn't hate Tanya, surely? Why would she spend her life with her if she did?

"You really are pathetic," came a bored voice from behind me, "You always pick on the little people."

I wasn't entirely sure whether or not to be insulted, but Rosalie was my friend, and on my side. I decided not to be. She was just proving her point after all. And it seemed to be working a treat, as Tanya was going bright red in the face, as though about to explode. I feared for Rosalie.

"Excuse me? Bitch, y-"

"Yeah yeah yeah. I'm shaking," Rosalie said, yawning, "It's all talk with you. How many times have you threatened to make Bella's life a living hell? Too many. And you'll keep doing it, because you don't have the guts to do anything. You'll slip up eventually. Edward will ditch you soon enough, and Bella will be right there. She's a far better chance with my brother than you."

"Bitch puh-lease. We both know that Swan is a pathetic nothing."

"You don't fucking insult the Cullens and get away with it," came Emmett's angry voice. Standing together, the couple looked pretty terrifying.

"Fuck off McCarty, this doesn't concern you."

"Bitch puh-lease," Rosalie said, mocking Tanya, "He's my boyfriend, and you're insulting me."

Tanya snorted.

"He's got girls everywhere wrapped around his little finger."

"Oh that's crap and you know it," Angela said suddenly, "I have no idea how Edward put up with you for so long, but I am so close to murdering you it's not true."

"Ooh. Who just grew a backbone?" Victoria asked suddenly.

"Fuck off," I growled.

Bad idea.

"Excuse me?" Victoria asked, her full bitchiness shining through for the first time. As she turned her evil, sharp sapphire eyes onto me, I realised how much scarier Victoria was than Tanya. Victoria never really spoke, just stood there and smirked, so the comment had surprised me, and totally pissed me off. I'd been wrong in assuming that Tanya was the dominant of the pair, for if Victoria wanted to, I was quite sure she could knock Tanya down in a heartbeat. And she wouldn't think twice about it either. So what was her motive for playing lap-dog for Tanya?

"Ooh. Who just spoke rather than smirking?" Rosalie asked, mocking Victoria this time, almost mirroring my own thoughts.

"Bitch, y-" Victoria began, eyes blazing with enjoyment, but Tanya cut her off quickly. Victoria turned her blazing eyes on Tanya, now furious, but Tanya was staring at me instead, ignorant to the looks being thrown her way by the girl that was supposed to be at her beck and call. Her gaze felt rather feeble compared to that of Victoria's, and I wondered suddenly how I'd never noticed it before. The whole thing was maddening. Maddening and confusing.

"Look Swan, stay away from Eddie, or I will ruin your life. Understood?"

Not waiting for my answer, she flounced off, flicking her dyed blond hair over her shoulder as she went. Victoria followed her grudgingly, and shot her several nasty looks. I really wanted to know why Victoria acted the way she did, but I didn't have a clue as to how to find out. I just needed to wait. Actually though, when I did eventually find out several weeks later, I really rather wished I hadn't. No matter though, another story for another time.

"Is it possible for you to stay out of trouble for a single day Bella?" Angela asked playfully.

"I don't walk into trouble deliberately," I retorted. It was perfectly true. I wanted, in some ways, to return to being the girl everyone knew as Billy's abused girl that sat in the corner, alone. Things were so much simpler. But that would mean I could never speak to Edward again, and the thought alone was enough to shut out the fantasies of my befuddled brain.

"Please," Rosalie snorted, just as I tripped a little over thin air, "You walk into trouble every time you get up and move. See?"

Both Emmett and Angela burst out in fits of laughter, and I glared at them. My near-death encounter with Queen Bitch and Victoria was out out of my mind instantly. Unfortunately, after a few moments of playful banter, Angela let out a groan. We all turned to her, worried, and she motioned in front of us. I looked up to see our Spanish classroom, and smirked. Only Angela could think Spanish worse than Tanya and Victoria.

"Come on Ang," I said, grinning. Angela raised an eyebrow, and I realised what I called her. I hadn't even thought about it, I just had. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks and spread across my face, turning it scarlet. I mumbled incoherently, but Angela just sniggered at my discomfort.

"Ang huh? You know, I like it."

Rolling my eyes, I pushed open the heavy door of our classroom and sat down, sighing when Angela pointed out that we'd be doing more verbs today. Seriously, could it get any more boring? I swear, they deliberately teach kids stuff they've learnt five times before, in exquisite detail. Insert another eye-roll here.

Thankfully, Spanish verbs were pretty easy, so the lesson passed quickly. Angela gave a little whoop when the bell rung, and I laughed at her jubilance. It was rare for Angela to seem so happy and free, rather than quiet and studious, and it made a nice change. We walked from the classroom, arm-in-arm, and met Alice and Jasper on the way to the canteen.

"Hi Bella! Hey Angela!"

"Hi there Alice," I laughed, "Who gave you caffeine?"

"I'm innocent," Jasper declared, holding up both of his hands, palms forward.

We kept up a steady stream of conversation all the way to the lunch hall, and I managed to trip just once, pulling slightly at the cuts across my back. I winced, but my slight discomfort seemed to go unnoticed by my friends, who were poking fun at Mike Newton. Ben decided it would be fun to jump on Angela's back, and they bickered all the way to the table.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw the gorgeous mess of bronze hair. As we neared the table, the owner, dressed in a football jumper, came into view, sending my heart into crazy flutters. Edward shot me a small smile when I sat down in between him and Alice at the only remaining chair, but it didn't really reach his eyes.

"Excited about the game?" he asked me, his velvet voice soft and quiet with stress and sadness. A pang of sympathy shot through me as I answered with the affirmative.

"Hell yeah Bella! We're gonna kick some ass!" Emmett said, acting like an over-grown child. Well, he was one. Rosalie rolled her eyes at Emmett, and hit the back of his head with the palm of her hand. I giggled, and even Edward's lips tugged into a smile. I had to admit, even his sad little smile had my stomach in butterflies. The whole thing was getting ridiculous. If Billy or Jacob ever found out... I shuddered at the thought. It'd be nearly as bad, if not worse, than if I forgot to cover one of my bruises with foundation before wearing whichever crazy item of clothing Alice told me to wear via a text.

Ugh. My life was so messed up.

I was snapped from my thoughts when Alice's chatter beside me silenced, and a low, almost-silent growl emitted from Emmett. I turned round, catching sight of Alice's stony expression, and saw Tanya standing by Edward, undressing him with her eyes. I shot her a glare, and she returned the look.

Glad to know the feeling was mutual.

"So this is the company you keep?" Tanya asked, a little more of her usually bitchiness showing through than usual when in Edward's presence. Edward raised his eyebrow.

"These people are my friends and family," he said quietly.

"Seriously Eddie?" she whined, "Webber and Cheney? And Swan?" she spat my name. Unfortunately, her tone of voice towards me and the dirty look that accompanied it seemed to go unnoticed by Edward, who seemed to be in a world of his own. I'd pay a lot of money to know what was going on inside his head.

Poor guy.

"Go away Tanya," Edward sighed, running a hand through his tousled bronze hair. Tanya pouted, but Edward didn't relent, and Rosalie was clearly itching to have a go at Queen Bitch, so she stamped off, behaving like a spoiled child. According to Alice and Rosalie, Tanya's parents, Bree and Riley, spoiled their daughter no end.

"Do you need much more proof Edward?" Rosalie snapped.

"What?" Edward asked, a confused frown appearing on his face.

"For the love of God Edward, did you not hear how she spoke about Angela and Ben? And then Bella too?" Rosalie asked, exasperated.

"No," Edward replied shortly.

That was the last mention of Tanya and her bitchiness, as Kate and Irina came over at that moment. Needless to say, the jokes really started up at that point. Kate decided to crack jokes at Emmett's expense, which cracked us all up a lot, other than Edward, who seemed to be in another world.

"Did you tell Bella about that run-in with Chief Masen last summer?" Kate asked with a mischievous grin.

Emmett looked mortified, causing Kate to snigger.

"Carlisle and Charlie go fishing all the time, and so he's around a lot. Last summer, the three of us Denali's were over at their house, and Charlie went up to Emmett's room to tell him that breakfast was ready, just before the two of them went out fishing, and Emmett was getting it on with Rose. It was so funny! Edward and I were walking past Emmett's room at the time, and the look on his face is going to stay with me until I die. Rose just grinned, but Emmett was caught stark-naked by the Chief of Forks police! It was brilliant," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"I object," Edward said suddenly, "It was revolting. There are some things I don't need to see my brother and sister doing. It would be worse only if it were Alice and Jasper."

Edward grimaced, and I snorted with laughter again.

"Why would we be worse?" Alice asked with a slight pout.

"Because you're my sister by blood, and you're my younger sister."

"By a matter of minutes," Alice snorted.

"I don't care. It's beside the point. It's all gross."

We all laughed at Edward's discomfort, save for Alice, who still seemed offended. I agreed entirely with Edward, and I wasn't being biased at all, for once. If I had a brother, I wouldn't want to see him doing anything with a girl, regardless of how old he was. Ew.

We were snapped from our reminiscing by the bell. I slung my bag over my shoulder and followed Edward out of the canteen, telling Angela and Alice that I'd meet them by Alice's Porsche before the game. All the boys were playing, and Rosalie would be cheer leading, so it would just be the three of us.

"You ok Edward?" I asked, and then realised the stupidity of what I'd said, "Sorry, stupid question."

Edward smiled his beautiful, crooked smile. My stomach did a flip, literally.

"I'm not really upset by breaking for a bit with Tanya," he admitted, "I'm just so confused."

"What about?"

"Several things. For starters, is Tanya a bitch, a major bitch, or 'Queen Bitch', as Rose calls her?"

I smiled.

"So you think she's some form of bitch?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've known she can be bitchy for ages. But she was really a bitch on our date last night. Then everyone else says she's a complete bitch, and apparently she's being particularly nasty towards you."

"She is."

"But how do I know? It's not that I don't want to believe you, I do, but I also want to believe Tanya. I just don't understand anything. I need to see her behaviour for myself."

"I've told you before that I understand that. I'm not asking you to ditch her ass. That wouldn't be fair. I'm not really asking you to believe me either. I'm sure if you told Jasper that Alice was a complete bitch, he'd want proof right in front of him first."

Edward smiled softly and squeezed my hand, before letting goo quickly. The single touch sent my heart into a frenzy.

"Thank you Bella, for everything. I'm glad you came to Forks," he said, his beautiful smile still in place. He reached out and opened the door for me as we reached the biology classroom, and we sat down at our table. Throughout the lesson as we finished up on our project on micro-organisms, he kept shooting me his panty-dropping grins. How could a guy get any more perfect?

The bell rang seemingly just a few minutes later, and we stood up, gathering our stuff together to hand in. Edward's finger-tips brushed mine, sending electric sparks up my arm, shooting right through my body. I looked to Edward, a shocked expression on my face, and was exceedingly surprised to see him looking similarly shocked.

Shaking his head slightly, he picked up our stuff and handed it to Dr. Schmitz, before throwing his stuff into his bag and following me out. I ignored Lauren's calls, deciding I wasn't interested. We hardly ever spoke. Lauren was very much looking to become part of Tanya's group, so she definitely classes as the 'dark side', as Emmett called Tanya's lot.

"See you tonight Bella," Edward said with another smile as we parted, me for gym and him for calc.

"I'll be cheering you on," I promised, "Bye Edward!"

I tore myself away from his holy-hotness, and my eyes landed on a smirking Alice. I walked over to her, pretending not to have any idea why she was sniggering. Of course, by little pretence didn't work in the slightest - I never had been a good actress.

"It won't be long Bella," Alice said with a smug grin.

"Until what?" I asked innocently.

"Oh you know what miss. Until Edward ditches Tanya, and has a shot at you."

"Of the first but I have no doubt, but who's to say I'll be her replacement?" I asked, my voice slightly bitter. I hadn't realised until that's moment just how bad my little crush was getting. I was hoping, illogically, that Edward would make a move on me once he'd changed himself from 'taken' to 'single'. But the sensible part of me was crushing that hope every second longer I spoke to Alice.

"Nobody," Alice said softly.

"Exactly."

"No, that's not what I mean. You won't be her replacement. You'd be an entirely different girlfriend for him, and a much better one."

My mouth fell open at Alice's words, and I was momentarily rendered speechless. The little pixie smirked at me, and I remembered her moments of strange behaviour. The way she'd almost go off into her own little world, and how the rest of the Cullen's would throw her worried glances, but try their best to divert the attention away from their strange sister. If it drove me insane, I'd find out what the hell it was with Alice.

Thankfully, gym was over pretty quickly as I was thinking of the game. Unfortunately, because my thoughts were elsewhere, I managed to hit Lauren over the head with the ball more than once. She wasn't very happy about it, but daren't say anything, as Alice was - sneaky devil - at my side in an instant, chatting about Lord-knows-what.

Friends were awesome.

***

"I can't believe you've never been to a game before Bella!" Alice exclaimed as we climbed the stands to the 'best seats'. They all seemed the same to me, and you couldn't see all of the pitch from anywhere. Then again, what the hell did I know? As Alice had pointed out, I'd never seen a match before, let alone processed and thought about which seats were the best.

I shrugged towards Alice as we reached the seats she and Angela had been heading for, and sat down, wrapping my coat around me. It was windy all the way up in the stands.

At that moment, the cheerleaders came out. I saw Tanya and Victoria there, following Rosalie out onto the side of the pitch. While Tanya strutted around and thrust out her chest, Rosalie threw her pom-poms around enthusiastically, flashing the crowd her beautiful smile. A cheer went through the crowd, and I found myself whooping along with everyone else. The routine was brought to an end, and Rosalie lead off her team of cheerleaders. Victoria's eyes raked through the crowd, and landed a few seats across from us.

I glanced to where she was looking, and saw a man of twenty-ish. His face was set, and no emotion flickered across it, not even in his eyes. He was about Edward's height - just over six foot, and his jeans were baggy. He was unshaven, and his shoulder-length, greasy blond hair was pulled back into a straggly pony-tail. His eyes were grey, and cold. The guy gave me the creeps, so I looked away.

Angela seemed not to have noticed the guy, but Alice clearly had. She was in one of her strange trances again, and I felt all the more curious. Creeper was out of my mind, and I wondered whether she had some unusual condition. Before I could puzzle over it too much, she snapped out of it and turned to face me.

"Did you see that guy?"

"Yeah," I replied, a shiver running down my spine.

"Stay away from him. I have a bad feeling about him."

"Absolutely no problem."

All conversation was cut off at that moment, for someone called out through the stands.

"Alice!"

I looked across, and saw a beautiful, quite young woman with caramel curls that fell a little below her shoulders, and gentle honey-brown eyes. Her skin was lightly tanned and utterly flawless. She had a few of Edward's facial features, particularly his lips, and Alice's eyes. On the woman's arm - who I presumed to be Esme Cullen - was a man of thirty or so. He had light blond hair, and looked very like Alice, save for his eyes, which were similar to Edward's, just blue. I knew him to be Carlisle Cullen, Fork's best doctor.

"Hey! Come over here!" Alice called back, waving frantically to her parents. Both smiled at their daughter's enthusiasm. According to Rosalie, Alice certainly didn't get her hyper qualities from her parents. Both were very calm and placid, though Mrs. Cullen definitely had control of the household.

"Hello Angela. You must be Bella?" Mrs. Cullen asked, turning to me. I blushed under my thick layers of make-up, and nodded the affirmative.

"Yes, you're Mrs. Cullen?"

"Indeed I am, but call me Esme dear. And this is Carlisle," she said with a smile, motioning to her husband.

After the pleasantries had been exchanged, Carlisle and Esme sat down next to their daughter, and turned their attention to the game. The players from Forks were just running onto the pitch, and I had to admit that it was hard not to drool when Edward began warming up and stretching with the rest of his team. He looked incredible fit in all his uniform. I noticed that Angela and Alice wore similar expressions of dreaminess as they watched their significant other. Emmett looked pretty funny as he warmed up, but both Jasper and Ben looked determined and focused.

The players from O'Dea High walked on, and it was noticeable that they looked nowhere near as fit as our players. They showed off as they warmed up, and their cheerleaders were all blond and tall, but the difference was almost laughable. Carlisle voiced my own thoughts to his wife.

"The boys are going to slaughter them."

I must say, I thought it incredibly sweet how Carlisle and Esme went along on their Friday night to support their sons. Then again, they had to be incredibly sweet people to adopt Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett. Apparently though, Rosalie and Jasper were the children of Esme's step-brother, and Emmett was the son of an old friend of Carlisle.

The whistle blew, and the players were off. I found myself really getting into the spirit of things, though I didn't know what was going on most of the time. I knew enough to know when we scored, and when O'Dea scored.

One of the O'Dea players ran up the pitch, but was flanked by Jasper and Emmett. Out of nowhere, Ben whistled past the three and tackled cleanly, grabbing the ball back. Even from however many rows we were up, it was impossible not to see the big grin on Ben's face as he threw Jasper the ball, who ran down the pitch, swerving O'Dea players left, right and centre, before passing to Emmett, who scored. Everyone cheered loudly, and Rosalie looked particularly happy from her place cheer leading to the side. Of course, the Cullen's and Angela were ecstatic, as their boys had a hand in scoring the point.

Boys were scoring quickly from both sides, and my heart was pounding, despite the fact that we were well in the lead. I had no idea what the score was, but the Spartans looked relaxed. O'Dea High, poor souls, we're dripping with sweat and struggling to meet our high standards. Not that I was biased or anything.

A minute or two before the end of the game, Edward made a spectacular tackle, having run all the way up the pitch at ridiculous speed. He slogged the ball to Jasper, who was almost immediately tackled by an O'Dea boy twice the size of Emmett. Jasper threw the ball away from him, and Edward leapt up and caught it, before tearing down the pitch at lightening speed.

By this moment in time, everyone was on their feet, Carlisle and Esme included. Everyone from Forks was screaming inaudible words of encouragement to Edward, who had just managed to escape the enormous guy that had tackled Jasper. I too was on my feet, screaming incoherently as Edward passed to Ben, before regaining the ball yet again.

"Go on Edward!" Esme called, a little more dignified than the rest of us kids, a huge grin on her face as she watched her son run faster than should be humanly possible.

Edward finally scored, and the loudest cheer yet ran through the stands. We drowned out the few O'Dea supporters as they 'booed' with ease, and I found myself leaping up and shouting and chanting along with everyone else. I looked across at Esme and Carlisle, who were both sporting massive smiles, and then at Alice and Angela, who, like me, were screaming themselves hoarse.

The whistle blew again, signalling the end of the game. Cheerleaders from Forks began to wave their pom-poms around wildly, and Rosalie looked the happiest of her entire team. The O'Dea players and supporters left rather sullenly, not even exchanging the usual 'well-played' at the end of the match.

Sore losers.

"Edward was so fast!" I said, or rather, gushed.

"He's always been our sprinter," Carlisle said with pride.

We chatted animatedly about the game as we decended the may steps to the bottom of the stand behind the slowest people known to man-kind. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Creeper following us closely, but I shook off my uneasy feeling. After all, he was only going down the steps to get out. Nothing strange about that.

Keep telling yourself that Bella.

"Jazzy!" Alice squealed as we reached the bottom, and threw herself at her boyfriend, peppering his face with sweet kisses. The movement was perfectly in synch. Just as Alice leapt up to Jasper, he'd extend his arms out to her and catch her. I smiled at the couple. Hyper, easily-excitable Alice and calm, quiet Jasper. Polar opposites, and yet they suited each other perfectly. 'Jazzy' began to calm Alice down a little, allowing the rest of us to keep our sanity.

Unfortunately, Emmett and Rosalie came up at that moment, and after saying 'hi', they decided to share a rather intimate kiss there and then, in front of their parents.

"Not in front of the old folk," came a joking voice.

"Old?" Esme asked Ben, a twinkle in her eye, "I think not."

"Let me rephrase ma'am," Ben said, a wicked grin on his face, "The older folk."

"Hmm."

Esme didn't say anything else, as Angela spotted Ben at that moment. She pushed passed me and wrapped her arms around her guy, in a far calmer way than Alice. Angela's loose, ebony hair created a curtain between her and us, and I looked away, not wanting to intrude on a private moment.

Edward came up to us last, a shit-eating grin in his face as he scooped me into a highly unexpected hug. I let out an exclamation of surprised as he lifted me off of my feet, and clutched onto his shoulders. As he set me down, I felt a little giddy, but I had a wide smile on my face. I stumbled a little, but Edward caught me before I fell.

"Sorry," he said, not really looking sorry at all.

"No problem."

"Don't go lifting me up," Esme joked as Edward bent down to hug his mother too.

As though to prove his point, Edward lifted his mother an inch or two off of the ground. I'd never seen Edward so carefree and boyish, and it had my heart in meltdown. I'd need a new one if Edward kept surprising me like he constantly seemed to. Esme rolled her eyes at Edward when he set her down a second later, but she was smiling.

"Great game Edward," Carlisle said, clapping Edward on the back, "Charlie was watching down at the bottom, but he just left. He'll want an analysis on Sunday."

"Ugh," Edward groaned, "Please just go fishing."

"Uh uh. Behave young man," Esme said with a stern look. Edward shot his mother a slight glare, but his glare became far more pronounced as his eyes rested on something or someone over Esme's shoulder. I glanced across, and just saw a whirl of blond hair and pink clothes.

Tanya was in Edward arms, and Edward didn't look happy about it.

"Oh Eddie!" she screeched, glaring at me briefly, "That was amazing! You-"

"I was under the impression my son had taken a break with you Tanya," Esme said cooly, "Does that not mean that you don't act like a couple?"

Go Esme.

"Yes, it does. Go away Tanya," Edward said through gritted teeth. Tanya pouted and was clearly about to protest, but Esme's warning look silenced her, and she stomped off. I had to stifle a laugh. She really had made herself look like an idiot.

After getting rid of Tanya, we all walked out to the parking lot. Carlisle and Esme said goodbye to myself and Angela, and climbed into a black Mercedes. Angela and Ben also said fair well. Angela had told me during our torturous hour of calc that she had a date with Ben at some fancy restaurant in Seattle after the game, and they were staying overnight as it was late. Rosalie and Emmett waved to us as they climbed into Rosalie's red convertible, and Alice and Jasper followed, though getting into Alice's Porsche.

"Sorry Bella. I'd offer you a lift, but Jazz is taking me to the movies tonight," Alice said apologetically.

"It's no problem Alice," I said as she climbed in and left. Actually though, it was a large problem. I was aching all over from my long day out, and Billy would expect me home soon. I couldn't even run home quick enough. It seemed that beatings would be inevitable. I sighed and slung my bag over my shoulder.

I'd completely forgotten that Edward hadn't yet left.

"Hey Bella!" he called. I spun round and blushed.

"Sorry Edward."

"Forget me?" he asked, feigning hurt, "Anyway, do you want a lift home?"

"It's ok-" I began, but he cut me off.

"That wasn't really a question. Get in, come on."

"No really, Edward, I can walk."

"Esme would kill me if I left you to walk all the way back to La Push at this time. Please get in."

With a sigh, I nodded and climbed into his spotless silver Volvo. Edward keyed the engine and hit the gas pedal. He flicked on the radio, and I laid my head back, letting myself drift in and out of sleep. It had been so long since I'd really slept.

"Don't go all the way," I mumbled, "Alice drops me where she turns off of the main road."

Edward chuckled.

"I've been raised to be a gentleman Bella. Straight on?"

With a sigh, I directed him to Billy's house.

"Just keep on down here for a while," I said, yawning.

***

"Wake up Bella," Edward said softly, "We're here."

My eyes flickered open to see a pair of amused emerald eyes hovering over mine. I groaned and woke myself up properly.

"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with sleep.

"No problem. Oh, and Alice says she wants to see you tomorrow for a sleepover, if Billy's ok with it? Text her."

"Will do," I replied as I climbed out of his car, "Bye Edward."

"Bye Bella."

I slammed the door and Edward drove off. it was only when I turned round to unlock the door that I realised where Edward had dropped me. Right outside the door. Billy would have seen him drop me off, and that would put me in for a seriously bad night. Heart pounding and body shaking, I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, only to find myself face-to-face with Billy.

"Well well well," he sneered, "What have you got yourself into?"

***

**A/N**

**Ok folks, I'm doing a triple update, as I had this chapter ready on Friday, but I didn't have any wi-fi to post! O'Dea High is a real school in Seattle. We've introduced 'Creeper', any ideas who he is?! *coughs* **

**Lucy xX**


	13. Chapter 13-Foreign Scents

Edward's POV

I laid back on my bed, trying to ignore Alice and Jasper's grunts and moans from next door. Esme and Carlisle were out with Charlie and his wife, Renee, so the couples of the house were taking the chance to have a little intimacy with their significant other. The sounds of sex amongst my siblings would usually be drowned out by my own sounds, made with Tanya, at times like this. Unfortunately, Tanya was no longer welcome in the Cullen house, as I'd taken a well-needed break with her.

I toyed with my cell again, wondering whether or not to try Bella's number again. I'd been horrified to find, on Saturday morning, that we'd never exchanged numbers, so Alice gave her number to me, texting Bella with my number. I'd have left all the arranging of the get-together wanted by Alice to the girls of the house, but Bella wasn't picking up. Alice had spent all Friday night trying to reach her, but to no avail.

With a sigh, I hit Bella's name again, and pictured her gorgeous brunette hair and deep chocolate eyes as I held the pone to my ear. I listened to it ring for a while, and groaned when it went over to voicemail. Again. Perhaps, as ever-practical Carlisle had suggested, she was out for the day with Billy and Jacob, or maybe Leah, whom she'd mentioned she was friends with.

But Alice had a feeling that something was wrong. She hadn't had one of her 'visions', but she had a gut feeling that something bigger and darker was behind why Bella wasn't answering her phone. And when Alice had a gut feeling, it was nearly always right.

In fact, thinking about it, the only time she'd ever been wrong was about ten years ago. Esme took us all for ice-creams at the beach one day, and Alice had listed off the flavours of ice-cream we'd get. Just to annoy her, Emmett changed his mind last-minute. Alice had been very upset, but the rest of us thought it hilarious.

I was snapped back to the present by a particularly loud groan from Alice's room. I slammed my fist down on the 'on' button of my radio and turned the volume up fully. There was no way in holy-fucking hell a brother wanted to hear those sounds from his bloody sister's room.

Absent-mindedly, I flicked through the contacts on my phone. Several names flashed upwards as my thumb ran across the sleek screen. Four in particular caught my eye. The first, being that of Kate, the second Irina, the third the Denali home number, and the final Tanya's.

_Tanya: fake, blond, bitchy, cruel, and technically still my girlfriend._ With a sigh, I hit her name and waited for her to pick up. I either needed to end it for good, or return to being a couple. The half and half relationship we were in wasn't going to work for long. I listened to the phone ring for a while, before Tanya picked up.

"Eddie?"

"Hey Tanya. Look, we really need to talk. Can you come round now?" I asked, running a hand through my already-dishevelled hair.

"Oh. Ready to talk now are we?" Tanya snarked.

"Don't be childish Tanya."

"Don't speak to me like I-"

"Are you coming or not?" I snapped.

"Is Swan there?"

"Have a fucking guess. No. And even if she was, why would it matter? She wouldn't actually listen at doors like a three-year-old."

"Fine, I'm coming!" Tanya screeched, and ended the call.

I groaned loudly and flopped backwards on my bed. If there was one thing I hated at that particular moment in time, it was Tanya. I thought over all the things I'd been told about Tanya, and all the snippets of her 'true colours' I'd seen for myself. With a heavy heart, I realised that what they were telling me was probably true. Why it had taken me so long, several years in fact, to reach that conclusion was beyond me.

I must have fallen asleep, for I was being shaken awake by Alice, who was wearing just a pair of pants. My eyes flickered open, and I was met by the sounds of screeching from downstairs. It sounded like Tanya and Rose. I looked up at Alice, and it sunk in that she wasn't even wearing a bra.

"Alice!" I hissed, "I'm not Jasper! Please put some clothes on!"

"Oh suck it up Edward," she said, breasts bouncing slightly as she huffed, "Tanya's downstairs, so move it."

I rolled my eyes at my sister, and hauled myself out of bed. I trudged down the stairs slowly, and called Tanya's name. I deliberately didn't listen to a word being exchanged by Rose and Tanya, as I needed to keep a cool head for what I was about to do. If I were being honest, I didn't know what I was about to do.

Luckily, the sight of Tanya made my mind up.

My eyes eventually travelled to her, and I sucked in a strangled gasp. I took a slight step backwards, and got a very, very sour taste in my mouth. My breathing picked up considerably, and anger boiled through my veins. I ground my teeth together and clenched my fists to stop myself doing anything stupid. Tanya flushed slightly under her layers of muck, and I just about lost it.

"What the fuck?" I shouted.

Tanya's bright red lipstick was smudged, and her lips were swollen and throbbing slightly. I knew from personal experience that you looked like that after a heavy make-out session, and I certainly hadn't been kissing Tanya recently. Her hair could only be described as 'sex hair'. It was nearly as dishevelled as mine usually was, and was pulled slightly from the bun it had been in. There was a dark love-bite clearly visible on the side of her neck, which nearly had me growling. I'd never given Tanya a hickey, to my knowledge, so it definitely wasn't from me. If those weren't obvious give-aways though, she was wearing an over-sized football jersey, almost exactly like the one in my wardrobe upstairs, except slightly smaller.

"Oh come on Eddie, did you really believe I was some nice, good-girl? Had you really not worked it out?" Tanya asked with a smirk.

I was speechless.

"They told you, dear Eddie. I thought you'd worked it out when you took a break with me, but I was still foolishly hoping you'd take me back. It was Victoria that told me you were bound to find out eventually. I knew she was right. I'd end up insulting that bitch Swan in front of you, or I'd have a hickey I couldn't cover up. So I gave up. After all, it's much more fun when you can go fuck whoever you like," Tanya explained with a grin I'd never before seen on her face.

"I think I owe you an apology," I choked out to my family, my eyes not straying from the betrayer in front of me. They'd been right. She was picking on Bella, she was behaving like a bitch, and she was fucking the football team behind my back. I should have listened to them all. I'd have saved myself a whole lot of heartbreak. Not that I loved Tanya, but I had cared for her, once upon a time. And she'd betrayed me.

Queen Bitch.

Suited her perfectly.

"This is it Tanya. We're over. Now get the fuck out of my house!" I roared once I'd regained my voice. With a final smirk, Tanya spun on her heel and left.

I stumbled back into a chair. I had no idea why I was so shocked by Tanya's true personality, but I was. I groaned and closed my eyes. The first image that popped into my head wasn't of Tanya with a guy I'd known since kindergarten, but of a certain brunette, who, I now realised, I had a rather serious crush on.

Picking up my cell, I tried her number again. Her beautiful voice would calm me, I knew...

***

Bella's POV

I whimpered as Jacob brought his whip down across my shoulders for the fifth time. I felt the sweet-smelling, viscous blood trickle down my ruined back, and soak into the jeans I was wearing. I reached up, unthinkingly, to push back my matted had from my sweaty, bloodied forehead. I felt someone hit me harshly from behind, and I knew that it could only possibly be Billy.

"That's what you get bitch!" Jacob crowed.

"You endangered us. If anyone in your pathetic school turns up here again, both they and you will die at my hand," Billy snarled, his voice fierce. I shuddered, only to earn myself another round of beating.

I chanced a glance at the clock that sat on the mantle, ticking away as I counted every second of my miserable life. Sixteen hours. Sixteen hours, non-stop they'd been hitting me. Jacob had raped me once, to cause me pain and for his own, sick pleasure. He was just fifteen, almost sixteen, and he was using me, for his own pleasure. If it wasn't so painful, I'd have been too revolted to think about anything else.

"What d'you think now Jacob? The whip or another round?" Billy asked.

They were both so, incredibly sick. Who could possibly find entertainment from hurting someone? And how could Billy even ask a question like that so calmly, as though he was just asking his son whether he wanted to watch more football or a game of basketball. Ugh.

"What does Bella want?"

As though he cared a flipping jot about my feelings.

I stayed silent.

"Well bitch? You heard the boy!" Billy barked.

I said nothing. Though it achieved nothing, it made things only slightly worse, and it felt like a small victory every time I defied them. Let's face it, the situation couldn't really be much worse, so I could afford to be slightly rebellious.

"Go for another round then Jake, if you wish."

Jacob shoved my down on the floor and began the process again, amongst my blood and vomit from our last sessions. I felt the shirt I'd bought with Alice on Thursday rip down the front as he pulled off my clothes. My jeans were caked with blood, my blood, and it made it slightly more difficult for Jacob to remove them. It made it more painful for me as he did so, as the blood was stuck to the small hairs that covered my skin too.

As Jacob neared me, I braced myself from the pain that would follow...

But the moment he pushed into my pain-filled, tortured, agonised body, I passed out into blissful blackness from the pain.

***

I was pulled back to reality by Billy, when he hit me hard across the face, in exactly the same way he had all those years ago on my sixth birthday, when the abuse had first started. I heard the ringing of my cell-phone in the background yet again. I assumed it was Alice or Rosalie that kept calling me, as Edward had told me they wanted to meet up with me over the weekend...

_Edward._

Though he didn't know it, his kindness in taking me home had caused me agony. I felt a tear roll down my cheek as Billy ignored the ringing of my phone.

"I think you've had enough for today Girl. If that ever happens again though, I will kill you."

With his final words, Billy wheeled himself out of the room, followed closely by Jacob. I laid my head down on the floor of the living room for a moment, before heaving myself up to my feet. I sloshed a bucket of water over the floor, and felt sick again. I stumbled into the bathroom, my body in fiery pain everywhere. My stomach muscles contracted painfully, and I threw up what little was left inside me.

Having cleaned up a little of the mess made on the floor, I made my way upstairs to my bedroom. Slowly. I eased myself down onto my bed and flicked on my phone. I had fifteen missed calls, and a few texts. Most were from Alice, but there were four from an unknown number. I scrolled through my texts, wondering if Alice had given me a clue as to who the hell it was.

There was one sent four hours ago that told me Edward's number. Turning back to my missed calls, I saw that it was indeed Edward that had been calling me. Silent tears flowed down my cheeks as I thought of the bronze-haired God with his perfect emerald eyes that I'd fallen so hard for.

I wanted nothing more, at that moment, than to call him back and tell him everything. I wanted to beg him to come and take me away from the house from hell, and to hold me in his arms and never let go. I wanted him to kiss me until I forgot the pain, and Jacob's activities. I wanted him by my side, as friend or lover, as I testified against the Blacks.

Just for a moment, I imagined it all.

Unfortunately, reality decided to read its ugly head, and show me all the flaws with my plan. Firstly, and most importantly, Billy had threatened to kill me if anyone turned up here again, and I had no doubt he'd carry out his threat. Secondly, the Blacks were slippery, and would almost certainly escape the clutches of the police anyway. And thirdly, the one that hurt the most, Edward would almost certainly want nothing to do with me the second he found out how much danger I put him and his family in.

Feeling exceedingly low, I heaved myself up, and headed to the bathroom. I picked up a flannel and stripped off my bloodied clothes, before beginning the painful job of cleaning off all the blood. The gashes across my back and shoulders from Jacob's whip were very deep, and very sore. I grabbed the tube of Savlon I'd taken to keeping in the cupboard after I'd been badly burnt while cooking and rubbed it gently across my injuries, wincing all the while. Sure, I'd learnt to take the pain, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

_It hurt a freaking lot._

When I returned to my bedroom, I threw on my threadbare pyjamas and climbed into bed, despite it being mid-afternoon. I wasn't planning to sleep, but there was no way I could do anything else. The ringing of my phone made my jump out of my skin. I picked it up and checked to see who it was. When I saw Edward's name, my heart flipped over. Partly because I couldn't wait to hear his voice, but partly because when I did hear his voice, I had a feeling I'd burst into tears, and that would be difficult to explain.

In the end, my romantic side took over, and I answered the phone.

At last.

After being kept from it for sixteen hours.

"Bella," Edward sighed, his voice filled with relief, "Alice was worried when you didn't answer your phone."

If he said one more thing with so much emotion I'd lose it. As it was, I had to take a calming breath to stop the tears.

"I'm fine Edward. We were out for the day, and I left my phone at the house."

Naughty little liar. That was so far from the truth. I was anything but fine, and I'd been in the living room all night and morning. If heaven did exist, then I was fucked. As it was, I was almost certain it didn't exist, as if it did, then God existed. And if God existed, he couldn't possibly let people be treated the way I was.

"That's good. Alice had wanted to get together, but she's going out with Jasper tomorrow."

"Oh, ok."

"I'm glad you're alright, but I'm not," Edward said with a pained sigh.

"What happened?"

"You don't need to be burdened b-"

"I'm your friend Edward, I care about you. Spill."

"Tanya happened," he said bitterly.

"What did she do?" I asked softly, momentarily forgetting the terrible pain I was in for Edward's.

"I called her over to talk, because I figured we either needed to break off or reconcile. I heard her and Rose arguing downstairs, so I went down to see her. Her lipstick was smudged, her lips swollen, she had a dark love-bite on her neck, and she was wearing someone's football jumper. I think I owe you an apology Bella. You were right. She's been cheating on me, and she acted like a complete bitch," Edward said, his velvet voice furious.

"Hey! You don't owe me anything. As I've told you several times, I completely understand why you wanted to see her for yourself."

"It would have saved me a lot of pain if I'd listened," Edward replied.

"Maybe, but it wouldn't have helped anything. You'd have been unsure in your decision."

Edward sighed.

"You're right Bella. Thank you for listening. I needed that."

_Breath Bella_, I reminded myself.

"It's no problem Edward. I care about you."

And I so very nearly love you, I added in my head.

"I still appreciate it though. You seem to calm me down."

Edward Cullen, you have no idea how close I am...

"So what did you and the Blacks do today?"

Well fuck. I was the worst liar known to mankind. There was no way in the land of Holy lying-ness that I was going to be able to lie my way through this. I was totally stumped.

"Bella?"

"Sorry, I went off in my own world there. What did you say?"

I knew exactly what he'd said, but I needed to buy myself more time. Thankfully, Edward changed the subject slightly, giving me an opening to take in order to escape the impossible.

"Do you mean you don't hang onto my every word?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but no."

"I'm offended, really," Edward huffed. I sniggered and rolled over onto my back, not thinking about all the gashes I'd gained. I hissed in pain, and Edward's sharp ears caught the noise.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied, blinking away the tears that had formed in my eyes.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

Please shut up Edward...

"No," I lied.

"You're a terrible liar Bella."

"I just fell backwards when we were out today, and I hurt my back. I rolled over just now and it hurt."

That was a pretty good lie for me. You'd think that after lying to people about how I got bruises I couldn't cover up properly I'd be good at it, but I was obviously just rubbish at it. I'd never mastered the knack of getting people to believe you. I had a feeling it was easier to do over the phone than in person, but I didn't have much experience. Before I'd swapped to Forks High, I'd never phoned anybody. Not even Leah.

"You need to be more careful Bella," Edward admonished me softly.

"I do," I agreed.

Edward chuckled from the other end of the phone. We continued to chat for another hour or so, before Edward started yawning. I glanced at the clock the resided on the floor of my bedroom, and saw that it had just gone five o'clock in the afternoon. I was surprised that Edward was tired already.

"Long day?" I guessed.

"Not really, I'm just tired," Edward admitted.

"I'll let you go then," I said.

"It's ok-"

"No go on. Have a rest," I said firmly.

"Yes ma'am," Edward said, and I could picture his perfect grin, "Rose says can the two of you meet up tomorrow? She has some 'girl stuff' to talk to you about."

"Sounds good to me, when d'you want me?"

"Midday-ish? I can come pick you up if you like," Edward suggested. I let out a silent sigh. I couldn't really say I'd walk to their house, though I walked to the turning to their house daily, where Alice would pick me up for school. Unfortunately, Billy would, quite literally, murder us if Edward came all the way to the door.

"Thanks Edward. How about I meet you near the Clearwaters' house? You know the road I mean."

"Yeah, I do. You ok walking with your back?"

You're far, far too sweet Edward, I thought with an internal swoon.

"Sweet huh? I'll take that as a compliment."

Crap. I hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"It was," I assured him.

"You haven't answered my oh-so-sweet question yet Miss Swan."

"Sorry. I'll be fine."

"See you at twelve tomorrow then," Edward said.

"Bye Edward."

We hung up, and I laid down on my stomach, which was far less bruised, broken and bloodied than my sides or back. I thought about Edward for a while, and all the reasons we wouldn't be a couple. In my head, I made a list.

Firstly, there was Billy. If he ever found out that I had a boyfriend like Edward, who thought and cared about my welfare, he'd kill both of us. Secondly, there was me. If Edward found out what actually went on behind closed doors at the Blacks' house, he'd want nothing to do with me. Ever. And then there was the one that hurt the most, and that had my heart clenching. Even if, by some miracle, I managed to escape the Blacks' house, and I was no longer in danger or endangering others, Edward would still be so far out of my league it's untrue. He's smart, popular and hot. I'm average, average, and average. I'm just plain, boring Bella. There was no way in holy-hell Edward would want me as his girl.

And that revelation hurt more than it could have done.

Far more than I cared to admit.


	14. Chapter 14-Carmen Phrases

Once I'd made my point about remaining inconspicuous, Billy hadn't taken much convincing with regards to letting me go out for the day. Of course, I'd neglected to say that I was going to the Cullen house - I'd just said I'd been invited 'out' for the day with a couple of girls. He'd eaten up my words easily, and let me go with relative ease.

Jacob had been very unhappy that his sex toy was being taken away from him for the day, and had decided to have a 'quickie' in the morning. Bastard. To my relief, Billy had caught Jacob sneaking into my room early, and had put a stop to his 'activities'. I presumed he'd given the kid a lecture about not drawing attention to the household, but I couldn't say for certain.

I'd headed to our designated meeting place earlier than planned, as I wanted to pay Leah a visit. I'd become far more daring over the past weeks, and I was finally feeling brave enough to talk to the entire family. They'd all helped Leah in her quest to find me things of my parents, and I'd no doubt that they'd all supported her when she first slipped that letter into my locker, so I owed them something, at least.

Feeling slightly nervous, I knocked on the deep crimson door and waited. The house was pretty, normal and alive. Curtains of varying patterns and colours hung in the windows, and the roof was tiled a similar colour as the door. The walls were painted a light cream, and the garden was neatly tamed and well-kept.

The door made a clicking sound from inside, and was opened quickly. Standing in her own doorway, of her own house, with her own family behind her, was Leah, smiling madly. Saying absolutely nothing, she swept me into a silent hug. I was momentarily taken aback, as we'd never done more than talk and write to each other, yet here she was, welcoming me like a long-lost friend.

"Come in Bells," Leah said, using the nickname she'd given me a few years ago.

I followed her inside, and smiled at the homely feeling that encircled me as soon as I stepped over the threshold. There were a few potted plants dotted around the place, and several sketches and watercolour paintings. I looked at them in awe. Leah saw where my gaze had landed, and a shit-eating grin spread across her face.

"Seth's master of his pencil, or paintbrush, depending," Leah said, clearly proud of her younger brother.

"How old is Seth?"

"He's five years younger than me, so he's thirteen. Once upon a time, he worshiped Jacob like a God, but as soon as he joined Billy in..." she trailed off, looking to me with a guilty expression. I shot her a small smile. Though I hated being reminded of the Blacks, Leah could speak freely.

"It's ok Leah," I said, my voice quiet.

"What brings you over here?"

"Oh! I'm meeting some friends later, and I asked him to pick me up here. Well, he more or less told me he'd be picking me up. He gave me a lift home after the game home yesterday, and Billy saw. Well, you can imagine the fun he and Jacob had wi-" I stopped suddenly at the expression on Leah's face. "What?"

"He?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, a smirk on her face.

"Edward Cullen."

"Woo! Seriously? Edward Cullen? Are you and he, you know?"

"No. We're just friends. He's only just broken up with his girlfriend anyway. He's just driving me back to his house today, at about twelve. Rosalie invited me over."

"So you're friends with all the Cullens huh?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Eleazer would have something to say about his little girl being picked up by a boy," said a gentle, teasing voice from behind me. Sue Clearwater stood in front of me, smiling. Her black hair was streaked with grey, but it was pulled back into a ponytail, not a hair out of place. She was several inches taller than me, which would serve her well when Seth became an enormous teenager who refused to do his mother's bidding.

I may have been shut away from eleven years, but I did have a brain.

"Hi Mrs. Clearwater."

"None of that namby-pamby business in my house Bella. It's Sue. Harry will say the same," she said sternly.

"Ok Sue."

"I was told by your mother, many years ago, that the 'mother look' works on everyone. She was right. It's served me well, particularly when a certain young lady decided to start dating the town's criminal," Sue said, shooting Leah a look.

"You are so telling me about this," I said to Leah, a grin on my face. She glared at me.

"I am so not."

"I'll fill you in Bella," Harry said, wrapping an arm round his wife's waist, "Leah decided, two years ago, that Paul was the hottest guy she could snag. When he asked her on a date, she said yes. We weren't all too keen on that, and Sue used the 'Carmen look', as we call it. Of course, it worked a treat, and Leah ditched Paul on his stinking ass, pardon my language," he added as Sue gave him a reprimanding look.

"My dear parents educated my taste in boys," Leah said sarcastically. Her sarcasm was wasted on her parents though, who chose to ignore it.

"Yes, we have. Jared is a far more sensible boy," Sue said with approval.

"Jared used to say he'd marry Rachel," Seth said with a sly grin as he appeared, holding an apple in his left hand.

"You so had to bring that up," Leah said, "You don't even remember that. You're just copying what Dad says. You weren't even born when Rachel and Rebecca were here."

"Maybe, but it's true," Seth said with a shrug.

"I seem to remember yo-" Leah began, but Sue cut her bickering children off.

"Enough! Bella doesn't want to listen to you bicker, and neither do I. That's another Carmen phrase," Sue said, turning to me.

***

Several quarrels between Leah and Seth, many 'Carmen phrases', lots of stories and photos to accompany them later, I had tears in my eyes as Sue told me another story about my parents. I'd cried so many times in the two hours I'd been there, and it felt good to be around people that cared for you, even if they were powerless to help.

"Carmen had refused to stop teaching while she was pregnant with you, and she ended up going into labour while in her break, luckily. She was in the staff room, with a male teacher of about twenty. Yu can imagine the panic he got into. Well, I can imagine it," Sue said with a little laugh.

"Apparently," Harry continued, "She was barking orders at him through the pain. She ended up phoning Eleazer herself, who would have knocked the head off the young chap if he didn't have a wife to look after."

Sue shoved a load of photos of Carmen in the hospital holding... well, me, of Eleazer holding me, of them both holding me. I'd love to be ale to say I was one of those beautiful babies that smiled from the get-go, but I can't. I appeared to be your average, red-faced baby, with a few spot-like things around my nose.

_My parents._

I ran a finger over the two people I barely remembered that would have been the most important people in my life. I could have gone on girl dates with my mom, gone and done dirty things with my dad, flown away on holiday with both of them, and loved my childhood. I could have told my mom everything about Edward, and I wouldn't have had to hide everything from everyone. Sure, I had friends to talk to, but it'd have been nice to have a mother. I could have chastised my father for interrogating my boyfriend, and I could have sniggered every time he told me he was going fishing. Apparently, my dad had loved fishing, and had gone with Harry and Charlie all the time. If he'd lived, he'd probably have gone with Carlisle too, and perhaps Billy. That is, if Billy kept his sanity on that path, a path without me under his roof.

For a moment, I could picture it all.

As it often is though, my day-dream was shattered by a realisation. From what Leah had told me, information passed on from her parents, Carmen and Eleazer had left me to the Blacks because Carmen was more or less best friends with Sarah Black. I wondered then, suddenly, why I remembered Billy saying to his wife that I'd been left to 'him', not 'them'. He'd said that Sarah had no legitimate claim on me, and so I'd been left with the broken half of the family.

Was he lying?

But why would he lie? He had nothing to gain from keeping me, other than perhaps a sister for Jacob. But that had gone so well hadn't it? So well that Jacob was now raping his 'sister'. Oh I felt so fucking loved. Call me whatever you like, but having been beaten and raped for years, you are allowed a little bitterness now and then, no?

The doorbell rang suddenly, snapping me promptly from my thoughts. My heart pounded suddenly. Had Billy somehow found out that I was with the Clearwater's, not with friends, as I'd told him? Well, I was with friends, but not the kind of friends he'd meant. I glanced at Sue, who seemed exceedingly calm as she stood up to get the door.

"Calm down Bells," Seth said, waving his apple core around as he put his feet on the mahogany coffee table.

"If your mother sees you like that you'll be in trouble," Harry said with a grin.

"I'm sneaky Dad."

I listened to try and hear what was being spoken at the door, but couldn't quite make it out. I could hear Sue, who seemed to be speaking quite normally, but I couldn't clearly hear the second voice. After a moment or two, I heard the door slam, and I heard two sets of feet padding down the corridor. Sue rounded the corner, a boy with bronze hair in tow.

"Edward!" I exclaimed.

"Who were you expecting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How did you know I was in here?" I asked, not answering his question. It was probably rhetorical anyway.

"I remembered that you were friends with the Clearwater's. I assumed you'd asked me to meet you here because you were meeting them beforehand."

"Bloody hell," Seth said, ignoring the looks Sue was shooting him, "You Cullen's really are smart."

Edward smiled at Seth.

"It's not very difficult to work out."

They continued talking for a while, and I smiled to myself. Edward seemed to be getting along with the Clearwater's very well. He'd probably met Harry before, as from my understanding, he, Carlisle and Charlie often went fishing as a trio. Harry'd probably dropped round by the Cullen mansion before.

I turned my gaze back to the photo album that still lay open on the table in the middle of the room. I curled my toes into the long, soft carpet and flicked through it. I'd seen some of the photos before, both from around the Blacks' house while Sarah was there, and from the few Leah sent me all those years ago.

One photo in particular, towards the end of the album caught my eyes. My mom was standing in front of my dad, who had one arm around her waist, and one in front of me. Carmen was holding me gently, and I was grabbing Eleazer's finger in that way babies do. We were standing on one of the beaches at La Push. I couldn't tell which, but I guessed that it was First Beach from the large rocks in the background.

Tears swam in my eyes as I looked at the picture, and I realised at moment just how much I wished my parents were still alive. I'd thought more about them in the space of a few hours than ever before, and it made me more than a little emotional. A single tear spilled over, and rolled down my cheek, dropping on the floor. It was quickly followed by more.

"Bella? Hey, what's wrong?" asked a concerned, velvety voice.

I felt Edward wrap his arms around me and he shushed me gently, rocking both of us. I felt safer than I cared to admit in Edward's arms, and I didn't want to leave them. The thought scared me more than a little. I'd never felt so attached to someone until I met Edward. I tried to calm my breathing to match his for a few moments, and it seemed to work. I took a deep, shaky breath and pulled away from him, feeling embarrassed.

"Your parents?" Edward asked softly, motioning towards the photo album. I nodded in the affirmative.

Edward rubbed my back soothingly, but his gentle hands ran over the still-painful gashes caused by a day torture from Billy and Jacob. I let out a pained hiss, and Edward frowned.

"Is that where you hurt your back?"

"Yeah," I replied, blushing. The Clearwater's had obviously worked out that I was using my clumsiness as an excuse for any bruises or cuts I was unable to cover, as they said nothing, remaining completely neutral.

"You should get my Dad to have a look," Edward suggested.

"It's fine," I replied quickly, "It's only a cut."

"Must be pretty deep if it hurts that much."

"I said it's fine!" I snapped. Edward looked hurt. Of course, I immediately regretted it, and apologised.

"I shouldn't have pushed it," Edward said, with a shake of his head, "Come on. We need to go, before Rose bans me from picking you up again."

"Ok. Bye," I said, turning to the Clearwater's, who had been quiet throughout my and Edward's conversation, "And thank you."

"It's no problem," Sue said, smiling.

"You need something of your parents Bella," Harry added.

"Come back Bells. It's fun with you," Seth said, hugging me.

"I will Seth. I'll talk to you tonight Leah," I said, hugging the first real friend I ever had. Leah hugged me back tightly, without hurting me more than I already did.

"Tell him Bella," Leah mumbled in my ear.

"Tell who, what?" I whispered back.

"Tell Edward the truth," Leah hissed back, our words too quiet for anyone else to hear.

"I can't."

"I know why you think that, but you're wrong. He'd look after you, believe me. I can see the way he looks at you, even if you can't."

"What the hell are you on about?"

This was becoming a rather long hug, though our words were mumbled quietly and extremely fast.

"He'd dive in front of a bullet for you. Don't argue," Leah said, pulling away and raising her voice to normal level, "I'm not saying do it now, but do it soon. Everything would be so very much better."

"I will Leah, eventually, just not until I'm ready."

"Soon. Bye Bella. Edward."

With a final wave to the people I now called my friends, and that were the closest thing I had to family, I followed Edward out of the house. He opened the door of his beautifully clean Volvo for me, and I smiled at him in thanks. He flicked the radio on, and there was a comfortable silence in the car for a while. A few minutes after we drove off, Edward broke it with a tentative voice.

"Bella?"

"Mm?"

"What - uh -" he began, struggling a lot with his words, "I didn't hear most of what Leah said to you, but, um, well, I heard her tell you to tell me 'the truth'. What... I mean-"

He trailed off as he caught sight of my expression. I was so glad that Edward hadn't heard most of the conversation, but he'd had to hear that bit huh? And did he have super-human hearing or something? There was no way I'd have heard that conversation from where he'd stood. I may have heard mumbles, but I certainly wouldn't have heard anything clearly. I bit my lip.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I shouldn't have mentioned it."

I sighed.

"You can't help hearing things Edward. However much I wish you didn't hear any of that, you did," I said wearily.

"I can help bringing up things I'm obviously not meant to have heard in the first place."

"Don't you dare go beating yourself up over this Cullen. You've got no idea what she was on about. One day, I'll tell you everything, I promise. Until then, ponder over it however much you like, it makes no difference. But if you start blaming yourself for sweet Lord knows what, then so help you..." I said angrily.

Edward had the grace to blush a little. I was breathing heavily from my outburst, and I could safely bet that my face was bright scarlet. I closed my eyes momentarily to calm myself, and then looked over at Edward. He was watching me with an expression I couldn't decipher, and I made me slightly nervous.

"What?" I asked, my voice back to normal level.

"Nothing. Well, it's just..." he bit his lip the way I often did when nervous or angry or embarrassed, "You're kind of hot when you're angry," he said at a hundred miles an hour.

"What?" I repeated, surely looking like an idiot.

"Please don't make me say that again," he begged.

"I heard you. I just need reassuring that I'm not dead."

"What? Why?" he asked, looking incredibly confused. And fucking adorable.

"Did you, Edward Cullen, Mr. Popular, Mr. Smart, Mr. Star-Quarterback," in my head I added 'Mr. Fuck-Hot', "Just call me, plain Bella Swan, hot?"

"Absolutely not!" he exclaimed, looking horrified. My heart sank. I knew it was too good to be true...

Shit.

"I, Edward Cullen, just called you, anything-but-plain Bella Swan hot."

Cue blush.

Add a swoon too, while you're at it.

"Right," I scoffed, "I'm definitely not hot, but I'm flattered you think so. You need your eyes checked though. Don't argue," I warned him as he opened his mouth. It shut again at my words, and he ran a hand through his hair as he shot me a grin.

***

"Bloody hell," I whispered as I got my first look at the Cullen house, "It's amazing."

Edward chuckled.

"I'd forgotten you haven't seen this house yet. I said the more or less the same when we first moved here."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Where'd you move from?"

"Haven't we told you this? God, I thought we'd have told you this weeks ago. We moved from Phoenix. Charlie Masen convinced mom and dad to drag us here. I hated the thought of small town life, as did Rose and Jasper. Everyone else was ecstatic. The house made my outlook far brighter, and I met a load of good people here. Including you."

"Me too. I'm glad Billy made me switch schools. I never really had any friends on the Res."

"Come on," Edward said, leading me into the house.

***

About forty minutes later, Edward lead me back downstairs, having shown me the rest of his house. It was stunning. There seemed to be lots of places where walls had been completely replaced by glass, and there were lots of old photos and 'artifacts' around the house. It showed that Esme was an interior designer. The house was, overall, very modern, despite the hoards of old things dotted around.

"Bella!" Rosalie exclaimed, "I thought Edward had kidnapped you! Shoo! Go play with Em and Jasper," Rosalie said, flapping Edward away.

"Just call me if you want to go home," Edward said, before Rosalie quite literally shoved him from the room.

Rosalie took my hand and pulled me from the living room. We headed up two flights of stairs, before she turned sharply into her bedroom. The walls were painted a very light purple, so that it was more of a 'wash'. The carpet was clean, fluffy, an cream, and she had various rugs covering her floor, of different colours and patterns. I buried my toes in a blue and white swirly one that made your eyes go funny, and turned to the blond beauty that was sitting on the floor.

"Sit down Bella. Don't look so tense, I'm not here to shoot you."

Feeling a little self-conscious alone in a room with Rosale Hale, head cheerleader and Miss No-Bull, I say down on her rug. I'd fallen in love with her rugs nearly as quickly as I'd fallen in love with Edward.

Uh huh. I admitted it.

I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

"Rosalie-" I began, but she cut me off quickly.

"I consider us friends now Bella, something I don't consider many people. To you, I'm Rose," she said sternly.

"Ok Rose," I said, feeling a little strange, "How much do you know about me? Really? You know something's 'off', but how much do you know?"

"Nothing more than that. I've no idea what's off, and it's up to you if you want to tell me or not. Why?"

"I just wondered."

"Fair enough," she said, flicking her hair over her shoulder, "Now Bella. I'd love to say I invited you over to have some fun, perhaps with Alice and Angela, but that would be a lie. Alice has told me of your little crush on my dear brother, but I'd like it from you."

"What d'you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Um," I began, unsure of what to say.

"What were your first impressions of him?"

Ah ha. Now that was easy to answer.

"An arrogant bastard who had no manners. A very hot one."

"What on Earth? Please tell me you're joking?" Rose exclaimed.

I shook my head, and told her of the little incident in the parking lot the day I'd enrolled to Forks High. Rose was surprised, to say the least.

"And when you realised he wasn't a complete prat?"

"I began to get these fluttery feelings in my chest, and in the pit of my stomach. It took me a while to realise what they were. As soon as I did, I fell for him just a little bit harder."

Rose let out a squeal worthy of Alice, and threw herself back on the bed. After a few more minutes of interrogation, including having to rate his hotness out of ten - to which I answered one, just to prove my point - Rose asked me the real question. Did I love Edward? Of course, I replied in all honesty.

"Fuck yes."

***

**A/N**

**Right then you lot, I've uploaded three times in a few minutes, and guess what? I'm finally free! School's finished, no more ridiculous courses, and no more horrible holidays (vacations, for you Americans!) that I'm dragged along to with no wi-fi! Hooray! **

**So I have some questions for you.**

**Who do you think 'Creeper' is? That's the main question. Any guesses about Victoria yet? The next chapter will probably give you a few more clues as well, but any guesses now? Any predictions about Edward, the Blacks, the Clearwaters or the Cullens? **

**I'd love to hear from you, and I'll have the next chapter ready soon - I promise!**

**Lucy xX**


	15. Chapter 15-I Want Him

October rolled over into November, and November turned into December. Flakes of snow coated the roads and pavements, causing havoc with the traffic and making those of a clumsy disposition, like me, fall over more than once. The thick coats were being pulled out, and the snow fell more than once, only to melt again.

As did my hopes of Edward and I.

It seemed that every moment I spent with the guy I fell for him a little harder. Once or twice, I'd caught him watching me with an expression I couldn't name. Each time, though I tried my best not to let it, a glimmer of hope ran through me. I had no idea why I hoped though. Edward could have any gorgeous, blond girl in the school. Why would he chose me?

That didn't stop him crushing my hopes.

He'd say something about us being 'just friends', when one of Tanya's followers asked about 'that Swan bitch' as I was now called, and every time he did, my heart would ache. Sometimes, I wanted to drag him over to me and kiss him senseless, and sometimes I wanted to scream at him. There was a girl right in front of him that didn't want him for his looks, his brains, or his money, but for him. I wanted Edward Cullen. I didn't want Edward Cullen's looks, or Edward Cullen's brain, or Edward Cullen's money.

_I wanted him._

_I wanted him bad. _

I'd seen Leah and her family several times after my first visit to their house, and I could easily say they were the closet thing to a family I'd ever had. I loved them all like a family, and they excepted me. Edward had seen them a couple of times over the months too, and he and Seth got on very well, despite the age difference.

I'd been on numerous shopping trips with Alice, Rose and Angela, and I'd been to another two games. Both of which, I was proud to say, we won. We didn't just beat the other teams, we flattened them. I'd seen Jessica and Mike at the games once too, there as a couple, but it was only once. Angela had said that they were probably just trying to copy us, in order to get a place in Tanya's swarm.

Having said that, Tanya was gradually losing her power. The girls of Forks High seemed to have more a mind of their own, and arguments broke out far more often. Now that Edward had ditched Tanya, and it was confirmed - somehow - that she'd been cheating on him, she'd lost control of her sheep.

I had a theory about this. It was almost certainly what both Rose and Victoria wanted. It would be those two that battled it out now. Tanya had been thrown out of the picture, and Victoria walked around, seeming far more 'business-like'. She ignored most people with a air of disdain, and strutted around like Queen Bitch the second.

_Except she didn't. _

Victoria was far more high and mighty than Tanya, and could have the school under her control with ease, unlike Tanya, who needed Mr. Hot to be her boyfriend for her to have any control whatsoever. Victoria was the scary bitch, Tanya was the whiny bitch. Unfortunately for them, neither had any brains hidden in their tiny little air-heads. Perhaps Victoria had a smidgen of cunning in there somewhere, but it wasn't going to help her against Rose. Rose had brain's like Carlisle and Edward. She was planning on going to Dartmouth, if she got in, which she would, no doubt, to study medical sciences to become a doctor.

The final battle between the two would be terrifying.

Even Emmett agreed with me.

"Bella!" Alice chirruped, snapping me from my internal musings, "Make-up!"

"I wear too much make-up anyway, I'm not putting on more."

"I'm taking you to the Christmas dance Bella, of course you're not putting on more. I'll take that off and do it myself."

"Don't you dare," I hissed, more venom in my voice than I'd intended.

"Sorry Bella. I won't touch your make-up."

"I'm sorry too Alice. That was out of order," I apologised.

"Seriously though, let me do your hair," she begged.

"No problem. It's like a bird's nest at the moment though, just to say," I said with a wicked grin.

"Sweetie, I'm a fashionista. It'll look great in five minutes. How about a Hermione Granger look?" she asked, absent-mindedly.

"Bushy and brown? You don't need to do much then Alice, let me up," I joked. Actually, I was excited to see what Alice came up with.

"No you idiot. Remember her seriously cute hairstyle for the Yule Ball?"

"I love Harry Potter, of course I-"

"That one. Now let me concentrate," Alice instructed.

Not two minutes later she was blabbing about something. I had a sneaky feeling that I was in for a very long Saturday evening. Having said that, it was far better than being at the house with Billy and Jacob, being forced to watch chick-flicks, or being locked in my room for hours on end, not even allowed out to use the bathroom.

***

I had to admit though, Alice had done a very good job. She'd pampered my body for hours, making me shower, (of course that meant I had to reapply the foundation) shave and brush my hair, and then she'd bluffed, blemished, and enhanced my body. After a little deliberation, I even allowed her to add some make-up to my base layer. Alice had been fantastic, and my face looked remarkably natural, considering the muck it was coated in.

Alice had, as promised, pulled my hair up into a similar half-bun that Hermione Granger had worn at the Yule Ball. I had no idea how Alice had done it, but she'd made me look pretty good. My dress was a similar story. It was a light blue, with thick straps that ran gently over my shoulders. It fell into a shallow v-neck, not revealing more than my neck, and was gathered slightly. It had a little star of sequins, and stopped just above my knee.

Alice had been a wreck when she realised she hadn't made me buy any shoes, so I ended up in a pair of freaking Jimmy Choos. They were silver, beautiful, strappy, and unfortunately had a very small heel. Thankfully, it was small enough for me to manage. Probably. I damn well hoped so, because it wouldn't do to end up in A&E on the evening of our Christmas dance. I had a feeling Alice would blatantly refuse to come with me, and she'd stop anyone else coming. The pixie was a force of evil at times.

"Snap out of it Bella," Alice called, "Zip up my dress?"

With a sigh, I yanked the zip on the back of her dress up, before being told that we needed to go downstairs. In the living room, Rose and Emmett were sitting on the sofa, making-out. A groan came from one of them, but honestly, I didn't want to get close enough to work out who it was. I didn't want to watch it for another second. I'd be quite happy to crawl back upstairs and hide. Alice had other ideas.

"Break it up you two," she said, rolling her eyes. Emmett decided to wiggle his hips at her, not breaking the contact between his and Rose's lips. It was, to be frank, utterly nauseating. It was disgusting. Sure, people made-out all the time, but as soon as someone walked in on you, surely you'd just stop, and perhaps apologise? I'd be blushing twelve shades of scarlet. Then again, I'd never have a boyfriend to make-out with.

Alice threw a cushion at the pair, hitting them right in the face.

"Fuck!" Emmett roared, causing me to snicker.

"You know, you're lucky Carlisle and Esme are out," I said.

"We'd be upstairs if they weren't, where pixies wouldn't throw stuff at us," Emmett said, shooting Alice daggers.

"Baby, shut up," Rose whispered, whacking the back of his head.

The look of offended confusion on Emmett's face sent all three of us into peals of laughter. Emmett narrowed his eyes at us, and he suddenly scooped me up into his massive arms and swung me round. He pulled at a few of my injuries a bit, but I was laughing too hard to care. He tickled me, and I screamed.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Edward roared suddenly, appearing from nowhere.

Our laughter silenced immediately, but Emmett was still holding me in the air, his fingers still at my sides. I realised how strange it all looked. Rose and Alice collapsed on top of each other, having fallen over laughing, Emmett carrying me, his hands at my sides, my face flushed... It'd be easy to get the wrong idea.

"God Edward, calm down will you? We were having fun, something you wouldn't know about," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Jeez, way to make a guy feel good," Edward said crossly, stomping out. I glanced at Alice, who was giving me significant looks.

"What?" I hissed.

"Go get his head out of his ass Bella," she hissed back.

"Why would I make him feel any better than you?" I asked, surprised.

"Don't argue, just go."

I'd learnt not to argue with Alice, so I shoved at Emmett until he let me down, and walked upstairs quickly. It occurred to me that I'd only actually been in Edward's bedroom once, when he gave me a tour of the entire house. Of course, I knew where it was. I knocked lightly on his door, and waited for a moment. I could hear music coming from inside, so I knocked again, louder.

"Edward?"

The music was turned off, and I heard shuffling inside. The door opened to reveal Edward, wearing a checkered shirt and a smart pair of dark trousers. He looked smoking hot, and his ruffled hair made him appear even more sexy. I was momentarily dazzled, and I struggled to form any coherent words.

"You look, uh, great Bella," Edward said, running a hand through his hair.

"You don't look bad yourself," I replied, grinning.

"Look Bella, back there-"

"Shut up Edward. It's fine, calm down," I said.

"I still acted badly. I hate dances, and I've had hell from Lauren recently."

"I know. You hate dances? Really? Didn't you go to them with Tanya?" I asked.

"She dragged me along to some, yes. I still hate them though. I hate getting dressed up."

"I hate them too, but only because I end up tripping over and hurting myself and others," I said, "And Alice put me in heels."

"I'm sure you'll survive," he said, grinning.

"Bella! Edward!" Jasper hollered up the stairs, "We need to go now!"

"Save me a dance," Edward whispered in my ear as we walked downstairs.

His hot breath on my ear, our close proximity, his scent, and his words all sent my heart into a frenzy, and my breath hitched in my throat. Honestly, Edward was out to kill me. He just didn't see what was right in front of him. I was crazily in love with him, and he refused to see it. But then again, he obviously didn't have those feelings for me, so why would he date me?

***

Upon entering the building in which the party was being held, I was immediately struck by the loud noise, and the flashing lights all round the room. It made me feel slightly dizzy, causing me to wobbled very slightly. Having bagged ourselves a table, Alice and Jasper disappeared onto the dance floor.

They were actually really cute together. Alice was hyper, and jumped around the dance floor like mad, and Jasper was calmer, as usual, and neutralised Alice's bubbly personality a little. They were complete opposites, but it was a real case of opposites attract. It was impossible to imagine a better match.

After watching the couple for a few minutes, Rose dragged Emmett onto the dance floor. Watching those two dance was hilarious. Rose was moving around elegantly, seeming beautiful, and Emmett was really getting his groove on, wildly moving his hips and grinding against Rose at times. Watching Emmett was nauseating, but rather hilarious at the same time.

"Bella!" someone called through the crowd.

I looked up to see Jessica, wearing a pretty red dress, suiting the Christmas theme, with Lauren in tow, who looked less than pleased to have to speak to me and play nice. I realised that Edward had disappeared, and I was momentarily worried about having to deal with Lauren on my own. I'd die if Tanya or Victoria came up too...

"I didn't expect to see you here," Jessica said, sitting down.

"Hello to you too," I said, smiling.

"Sorry. Who are you here with?" she asked.

"The Cullens. Angela and Ben couldn't make it," I said.

"I meant who's your date?" Jessica asked.

"I don't have one."

"Obviously," Lauren snorted, "You're a pathetic nobody with no social life. Why would you have a date?"

I opened my mouth to reply with something sarcastic, but Jessica beat me to it.

"Lauren! How could you say something like that?" Jessica asked, aghast.

"It's not like you're friends with Swan," Lauren shrugged.

"That's irrelevant. Bella isn't a nobody, and she definitely has a social life," Jessica said, defending me. I shot her a grateful glance, and she smiled at me.

"Lets go," Lauren muttered, pulling at Jessica's arm.

"Bye Bella," Jessica said.

"Bye Jess."

I sat on my own for a moment, watching Emmett grind right up against Rose and Alice bounce around Jasper like the pixie she was, before a drink was set in front of me. I looked up, surprised, and saw Edward smiling, holding a Pepsi can in his left hand. I opened the coke in front of me, thanking him as he sat down.

"No problem. A little advice, never drink the punch. Someone always spikes it."

"Have you fallen victim to that?" I asked, taking a swig of my drink, letting it fizz in my mouth before it slid down my throat.

"No, but both Tanya and Alice have."

I sniggered at the thought of Alice drunk, and then grimaced as an image of a drunken Tanya came into my mind. Driven by hormones, desperate for sex with some random stranger... Sounded fun.

"What?" Edward asked.

"I'm imagining them drunk."

"Alice wasn't so bad. But Tanya... Ugh. An experience I will not be repeating," he said with a shudder.

A slow song came on, and Alice's frantic dancing calmed down as she joined with Jasper. They looked really cute together, dancing slowly and sharing sweet kisses. Rose and Emmett were kissing passionately, and Emmett was grinding up against his girlfriend as they moved. Edward made a noise of disgust next to me, before standing up.

"Can I have that dance Miss Swan?" he asked, offering me his hand.

I blushed, nodding, and took his hand, standing up too. Edward pulled me onto the dance floor and placed a hand on my waist, and I put a hand on his shoulder, feeling both embarrassed and awkward. He took my other hand with his, and we twirled for a moment, before moving slowly. I still felt uncomfortable.

"Relax Bella," he whispered in my ear.

At his words, my body seemed to melt, and I stopped thinking so hard. I let go. I was dancing with Edward Cullen, the man of my dreams, and I was enjoying it one hell of a lot. I felt a smile spread across my face, and I looked up at Edward, who was smiling down at me. It felt so right, being in his arms. And I never wanted to leave them.

The song ended, and I made to leave, assuming he'd want to dance with somebody who didn't run the risk of breaking his toes, but I felt his large, warm hand grab mine, spinning me back round as another song started up, slightly faster. He looked deep into my eyes, and I felt myself becoming lost again...

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I thought you'd want to dance with someone else," I said, unable to look away from his captivating green eyes.

"No. The only person in this room that I have any desire to dance with is right in front of me," he said, squeezing my hand as we moved together, letting go again. I moved my hips slightly to the rhythm, and found myself enjoying myself. I blushed again at his words, but they warmed my heart. He wanted to dance with me. Not anybody else out there. Me.

We passed Emmett and Rose, who were laughing and busting out some rather revolting moves. I rolled my eyes at them, but they didn't notice.

"There are some things a guy really doesn't need to see, particularly from his brother and sister," Edward said, his breath hot on my neck. We'd become closer than I realised, and our faces were just inches apart.

"I can believe that," I replied in a slightly breathless voice.

Edward's face was getting closer to mine, and I could feel his hot breath fanning out across my face, smelling faintly of honeysuckle. Goosebumps rose across my skin, and our movements slowed. Our joined hands dropped, and I felt Edward put one hand on the small of my back. His lips were just centimetres from mine.

"Bella..." he breathed.

"Edward..." I replied softly.

Our lips were inches away. His tongue darted out to lick his lips, and I had to stop myself from letting out a moan at how hot it was. How hot he was. His eyes flickered between my lips and my eyes, his face coming ever-closer. Our lips were just a hairs-breadth away, and then...

"Eddie!" screeched an irritating, high-pitched voice that I knew to be Tanya's. My head fell forwards and rested on Edward's shoulder. I was unable to look him in the eye as I hear the clip-clip of Tanya's heels near us. He'd almost kissed me. His lips had so nearly been on mine, and she'd gone and ruined it. Then again, maybe that was better. It would stop me from feeling quite so devastated when he realised his mistake and threw me to the side.

But it was still so close...

***

**A/N**

**Ah! So Edward and Bella nearly shared their kiss! I'm sorry, but the kiss wasn't planned, it just wrote itself that way. Tanya had to interrupt it huh? *sniggers* Don't hate me too much! I'll probably be updating 'Ice Angel' next. Leave me your thoughts, and I promise we'll get to HEA eventually.**

**Lucy xX**

See Bella's dress for the Christmas dance:  
/2287-Christmas-2011-Dresses-Simple-But-Elegant-fo r-teens


	16. Chapter 16-I Guess It's Not Waterproof

Edward's POV

I couldn't believe it. I was dancing with Bella, and we were both enjoying it. At least, it looked like she was enjoying it, and I'd even managed to make her laugh a couple of times. As I made some comment about Emmett and Rose's dancing, I realised that our faces were much closer than I'd thought.

And I got a sudden, over-wheeling urge to kiss her. Beautiful, soft, lush red lips, covered lightly with lip-gloss, natural-looking make-up, smooth, perfect skin, warm, sweet-smelling breath, long silky brown hair, and deep chocolate eyes... How could I resist? My eyes flickered to her lips as our movements slowed, and our hands dropped.

Bella had obviously noticed my intentions, as she too dropped her hands, but kept her fingers intertwined with mine. I looked back up to meet her gorgeous eyes, and saw that she was smiling slightly. I felt my own lips tug upwards slightly, and I placed a hand on the small of her petite back. Our lips were just centimetres away, and both of us were breathing quicker in anticipation.

"Bella," I murmured, for no reason except I wanted the thrill of saying her name. When I kissed her, I wanted her to know that my thoughts were only on her. Weeks, months, after breaking up with Tanya, Bella was about to make me whole. I felt familiar stirrings in my chest as I looked at her, leaning in closer all the time, ever so slowly.

"Edward," she breathed back, her breath hot on my lips, sending shivers down my spine. It was then that I realised. I realised what the stirrings in my chest meant, why I felt so much calmer upon hearing her voice, how I got a thrill when uttering her beautiful, pure name.

I was in love with her.

I leant in further, our lips just a hairs-breadth apart. I could smell the strawberry scent of her shampoo, and I remembered how wonderfully comforting it was to bury my face in it the morning after I'd taken a break with Tanya. Bella let out a long, quiet breath, which hit my face and aroused something inside of my stomach. I was just about to shut my eyes and close the minuscule distance left between us, when a loud, shrieking voice rang through the air.

"Eddie!" came Tanya's voice.

Honestly, I could have hit her. I'd been so close to kissing the girl of my dreams, the girl I was in love with, and she had to go and fucking ruin in. The swearing is totally necessary. I felt Bella's head fall onto my shoulder, and I longed to tilt her head back up and kiss those perfect lips...

"Eddie!" came Tanya's voice again, much closer now. A low, quiet growl emitted from my throat, and I felt Bella jump, startled. She looked up at me, catching my eye, and then blushed, looking away. She made to leave, and opened her mouth, probably to say goodbye, but I caught her gently.

"Don't go," I begged her. Confusion flashed through her brown eyes, but she nodded mutely and stayed where she was. I saw Tanya as she came through the crowds, and I put an arm lazily around Bella's shoulders.

"Eddie!" Tanya cried, throwing herself at me. Angrily, I pulled her away from me and glared at her.

"What?" I hissed.

"Oh Eddie! I'm so sorry!" she wailed, "I didn't mean anything I said, it was a mistake, an one-time thing. Please Eddie! Give me another chance!"

Tears shone in her eyes, and I heard Bella snort quietly next to me. I felt exactly the same. Even if what she'd said was true, I didn't love her, nor care for her anymore. I wanted nobody except the girl next to me, and I hoped to holy hell that she felt the same. Though there was no reason she should. I'd acted badly towards her in the past, and hadn't believed her when she told me of Tanya's bitchiness. I hoped, however, that the past months since I'd broken up with Tanya I had proven myself to her, as friend or lover.

"Absolutely not," I said firmly, turning away. I felt a manicured hand on my arm, and she dug her nails in. I spun round.

"So you're going out with that Swan bitch now are you?" she asked with a sneer.

"No," Bella supplied, "We're just friends," she said, her voice sounding slightly strange, and an emotion I couldn't decipher flashed through her eyes. Though her words hurt slightly, I knew I'd said them more times than I cared to count. There was no reason for Bella to say otherwise.

Tanya sneered at her.

"It'll stay that way bitch."

That was it.

That was the final straw.

"Fuck off Tanya!" I hissed, "Nobody cares a damn what you or your followers think. Leave us the bloody hell alone and get your fucking nose out of other's people's business. And whatever you do, you'll have hell to pay if you insult my friends or family again."

Tanya and I glared at each other for a moment, before she stormed off, slamming the door loudly. The sound reverberated around the room, and I realised that people were staring at us. Clenching my jaw so that I didn't hit someone, I led Bella off of the dance floor, back to our table.

"I'm sorry about that," I said as we sat down.

"It's not your fault," Bella mumbled, not looking at me.

"Hey. What's wrong?" I asked, laying my hand over her small one.

"Nothing," she sighed.

"It's not nothing if it's bothering you. Tell me," I encouraged her.

"It's just- It's so many things Edward," she whispered, her voice pained.

"Like what?"

"The Blacks."

"The Blacks?" I asked, confused, "What about them? Are they upsetting you?"

To my horror, her eyes filled with tears, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing quietly on the table. I glanced up at the dance floor, and saw Alice shoot Bella a worried glance, but she kept dancing with Jasper. I moved towards the brunette, and put an arm gently around her shoulders. I whispered soothingly to her, wracking my brains for a reason that she burst into tears at the mention of her adoptive family. At last, she calmed down a little, and her crying ceased. It'd tugged at my heart to see her crying. She looked up at me.

"I've said too much already," she whispered.

"Bella, what's going on?" I asked seriously.

"I can't tell you Edward. I want to. Oh heck I want to. But I can't."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that either."

"Can I help?" I asked. I needed to do something. Whatever this was, was upsetting her, clearly.

"Being here helps," she said, giving me a watery smile. I hugged her gently again. I had no idea where this new intimacy between us had come from, but I liked it a lot.

"Better?" I asked.

"Much," she replied, smiling properly.

If only I knew...

***

Bella's POV

Every time I thought about that night, the night with Edward, when he'd nearly kissed me, I got shivers. His lips had been so close to mine, I'd even been able to smell his amazing scent, and then Tanya had to ruin it. He'd probably realised what a mistake he'd made since, and was glad he hadn't finished.

Although, he had become a little touchy-feely since. He'd hugged me far more often, and he often slung an arm lazily around my shoulders. I tried not to, but I couldn't help feeling hopeful that perhaps this adonis felt half of what I felt for him. If he did, my world would be complete.

It was one of those rare, sunny days in Forks. Billy had allowed me to have a sleepover at the Cullens' house over the weekend. I think he was glad to have me out of the way, getting food from someone else's money, rather than his. He and Jacob were going out somewhere anyway, so it wasn't like they'd miss me, and they'd probably get a take-away.

We'd just eaten some of Esme's delectable food, and were all hanging around in 'the den', which was a comfortable living room that consisted of a TV, old, comfortable sofas, a love-seat, and a couple of bean-bags. I'd sat down next to Rose and Emmett on the sofa, and was really regretting it. Honestly, the noises coming from my left as we watched the first Harry Potter movie were disgusting. Alice had clearly noticed it too, and was not impressed.

"Right you two, shut up and watch the movie," she snapped, clearly tired of their expressions of love.

Emmett merely threw a cushion at Alice's head.

"Do we need a to get a garden hose to desperate you two?" Jasper asked sarcastically.

"Yup," Emmett said, moving away from Rose at last.

"Why don't we go out and enjoy the weather?" I suggested, a little bored of sitting around. It was all I ever did, and I felt like I needed a little excitement in my life.

"That's a good idea," Alice said, brightening considerably, "And we can even put that garden hose to good use. Swim-wear everyone!" she called, clapping her hands together.

Grumbling a little, the boys stood up and filed out of the room and ascended the stairs to change. I was more than a little nervous now. Of course, I never covered up any of my injuries that weren't on show, so a swimming costume or a bikini or whatever sinful piece of clothing Alice put me in was going to reveal them. I needed to put on foundation.

"Bella, you can borrow one of my bikinis," Alice said, smiling, "Come on."

She took my arm and dragged me upstairs. I heard Rose's laughs from behind us, and I shot the blond-beauty a glare. Alice was being far too enthusiastic. I had suggested going outside, not getting dressed up and spraying water at each other, which would almost certainly happen.

We reached Alice's room, and she threw open her wardrobe, rifling through the clothes in there. She threw a small piece of material at me, shortly followed by another. I held up the bikini and shook my head. It was beige and plain, but it was tiny. There was no way in hell I could wear that, not with other people looking. If it were just us girls, maybe, but the boys and their parents would see me.

"I can't wear that Alice," I said.

"Sure you can. You have a great figure."

"You need your eyes checked Alice, but I'm still not wearing it."

"Yes, you are," Alice said firmly.

"Don't bother arguing," Rose advised me.

"Thanks so much," I said sarcastically to Rose, "Can I use your bathroom?" I asked Alice.

"Go ahead," she replied, not watching me as I slipped the foundation from my bag.

I locked the door and sighed, stripping off. Basically, I needed to cover everything. Over the years, I'd managed to find foundation and make-up that was nearly the same as my skin tone, and I could cover things up without it being obvious. I sighed as I began the tedious task at hand.

A few minutes later, I was done, so I slipped the compact into the pocket of my jeans and folded them up, before putting on the strips of material. Biting my lip hard, I walked out of the bathroom and faced the girls. I felt a little better when I saw that the 'clothing' worn by my friends was even more ridiculous than my own. Then again, Rose and Alice had far better bodies than I did.

I knew I need to get self-esteem.

Alice told me that I looked great, and Rose added her two cents. I complimented their own looks - because they looked great, though their attire was skimpy - and Rose tossed me a short dress and a towel. I slipped the dress over my head and tucked the towel under my arm, and we headed outside.

Emmett whistled when he saw us, and Rose slapped him on the back of his head. Alice tossed her towel down, and I followed her lead, sitting down on the lush grass. Everything green thrived in Forks, due to the large amounts of rain. I looked up at the three teenage boys, who were laughing and grinning about something, and was relieved to see them all wearing shirts. If Edward was out here in just a pair of swimming trunks, I wouldn't be able to stop drooling.

As though the Gods were against me, Emmett ran over to get the hose, and Jasper and Edward tugged off their shirts. Neither had anything to be ashamed of. Both had toned stomachs, but they didn't look like they spent their lives in the gym. There was no doubt about it, Esme's boys were fit. Emmett joined them in discarding their t-shirts at that moment, and he was exactly the same. I struggled to tear my eyes away from Edward, but I knew I needed to. It wouldn't do to be caught ogling.

I turned my head sideways to look at Alice, and found her pulling off her dress. I turned my head to Rose, who was the other side of me, and saw her doing the same. She caught my gaze and grinned.

"Just take it off," she whispered, "There's nothing wrong with you, you look fine."

She smirked, not helping at all. I felt a blush rise up my cheeks as I lifted the dress over my head and looked down as I put it behind me. I didn't want to look at anyone while wearing something so revealing. Well, I suppose it wasn't really that bad, but I was uncomfortable wearing bikinis.

"Woot woot! Look at our ladies!" Emmett hollered.

I rolled my eyes at him, and avoided Edward's gaze. I wasn't sure why I was so worried about what Edward thought about me. It didn't matter one bit. He wasn't going to change his mind and date me just because I did or didn't have an amazing body - he wasn't that kind if person. It had been a week and a half since he nearly kissed me, and he certainly hadn't made to kiss me again.

"Edward's staring at you," Alice whispered in my ear.

I looked up at the guy I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with under my eyelashes, and saw that his eyes were trained on me. They flickered down my body for a split second before returning to my face. He caught my eye, and I looked away, blushing furiously. Alice had been right. He was staring at me.

"Right then," Jasper said with an evil grin I hadn't before seen on his face, "Why don't we-"

But we never heard whatever he was going to say, for at that moment, Emmett turned on the hose, and sprayed Jasper, soaking him in water. We all fell over, laughing hard. With a roar, Jasoer tackled Emmett and took the hose from his hands and sprayed him. This caused a fight between the brothers, and gave Rose a chance to grab the offending item. Being the devious girl she was, she merely shot another jet of water at them.

"You're meant to be on my side Rosie!" Emmett said, pouting like an over-grown kid.

"Uh huh," she said sarcastically.

Edward had so far managed to stay out of the whole thing, but he too was laughing at Emmett's expression. Rose beckoned Emmett towards her, and she leapt onto his back, the hose still in her hand. Emmett ran past Jasper, and Rose sprayed him again. Alice grinned, and copied Rose, jumping onto Jasper's back.

The fight between the two couples went on for over half an hour, Edward getting sprayed too, before Emmett noticed me. He cocked his head to one side, seeming to contemplate something. He set down Rose and snatched the hose from Jasper's hands, grinning at me. I didn't like his look one bit.

"Don't you think Bella's looking rather dry?" he asked. Edward looked at me, a wicked grin on his face.

"I agree entirely," he said, water dripping down his face, making him look even more God-like and perfect.

With that, he ran forwards and caught me round the waist, causing me to let out a scream. He lifted me into the air and stood in front of Emmett, holding me out to get wet. I felt Edward's hands nudge a bruise, but I didn't really care. It hurt far more when they were inflicted.

"Traitor," I whispered to Edward, who just shot me his crooked grin. It was impossible to be angry with that face.

Emmett had clearly reached the end of his patience, for I felt a cold stream of water run over my body. I let out a gasp as it hit my warm skin, drenching me. I pushed my hair back from my face, and then felt Edward turn round, allowing Emmett to soak my back. I'd get them back, I knew.

Suddenly, I heard the hose clatter to the ground, and a gasp rang through the air, coming from every single one of my friends. I frowned and craned my neck to see the others over Edward's shoulder. Their faces were all identical pictures of shock. I turned my gaze back to Edward, wondering if they were looking at him, but he too looked shocked and horrified. He set me down on my feet, but kept his hand on my shoulder, as though worried I'd topple over.

"Bella," he whispered, running his thumb gently down my arm, his touch feather-light. His thumb was moving in almost the exact same curve that one of my cuts was. Then he moved his hand to my shoulder, touching where I knew a large bruise to be, his touch ever so gentle.

That was when I realised.

The water had washed away all of my make-up. My skin, my bruises, my cuts, my scars... All on show for my friends, who had no idea I was any different to any other girl that had switched schools. I heard a sharp intake of breath from the porch, and a small gasp a split second after. Presumably, they came from Carlisle and Esme.

I guess my foundation wasn't water-proof, I thought bitterly. Billy and Jacob were going to kill me now. I'd allowed someone to find out about what they did to me behind closed doors. And the Cullens would become victims of the Blacks too. There was no way they'd go free after this.

"What happened to you?" Edward asked, his voice pained as he looked at me.

***

**A/N**

**I can hear it from here, before I've even posted. 'Finally!' Yeah, I know. Took a while didn't it? But Bella's injuries are finally out there for the world to see. Will she try and deny everything and pass them off as accidents, or will she welcome her chance of escape at last? What do you think? I had a lot of trouble deciding how to reveal Bella's injuries. I knew she wouldn't tell them of her own free will - she's too selfless - but I wasn't sure how they'd find out. It had to be believable. Was that ok? If it wasn't, I really need to know. Also, I'm sorry that this is a little shorter than usual.**

**Lucy xX**


	17. Chapter 17-Facing the Facts

For a moment there was silence in the garden of the Cullen house, save for the trickling of the hose that lay forgotten on the floor, wasting drops of water where it hadn't been turned off properly. Everyone was staring at me, all wearing identical looks of pain, sorrow, shock, and horror.

Edward's question hung in the air. Did I tell them what had happened to me? Did I risk both rejection, and their safety by grasping at my chance of escape after eleven long years of painful abuse? Leah's face flickered into my mind. She'd wanted me to tell them. She'd told me that Edward and the others would protect me, and keep me safe. But how could she possibly know?

If I told them, they'd probably want nothing to do with me, because of the risks involved. Admittedly, I doubted they'd do nothing, but it would be probable that I'd lose all my friends at school, and be sent into foster-care. I didn't want that. I could survive the abuse for another year or so, until I could legally move out, surely? I didn't think I could face the pain of rejection.

If I didn't tell them, I'd continue my painful life, but I'd still have friends and people that cared for me. I wouldn't be trapped there forever. If I changed my mind later, I could tell them. But if I told them and changed my mind, I couldn't take back my words and make them forget.

Though in some ways it pained me, the most sensible course of action seemed to be to lie. That would be difficult though. I was a terrible liar, and I had to account for years worth of faint scars, and more injuries than I cared to count. Could I pass those off as accidents? I guess that was my best shot...

"Bella?" Edward's pained, velvety voice prompted me gently.

I looked up at him, my plain brown eyes meeting his exquisite emerald ones. I was surprised by the emotion in them. I knew that he cared for me, after all, we were friends, but I hadn't realised that Edward would be that affected by seeing me, without make-up and foundation on. Could I lie to him?

Yes. To protect him.

"You all know I'm clumsy," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice even, "Most of the scars are from falling. We were out at the weekend, and I fell down a hill."

It wasn't exactly an amazing lie, but I hoped to hell it would appease them. I didn't know what to do if it didn't. I was dead set on keeping the truth a secret for now. Nobody ever had to know, and nobody other than me ever had to get hurt by the Blacks. If I could convince the Cullens, it would all be ok again.

Edward shook his head at me, disappointment clear in his eyes. What that was for I had no idea. The rest of the people around me wore similar expressions of scepticism. Edward took my arm gently and wrapped his arm around it, his fingers fitting into the bruises I'd been given when Billy grabbed me one night.

"And this?" he asked, an emotion I couldn't name in both his eyes and his voice.

"Billy had to pull me out of a ditch," I said.

What an amazing lie. Note the sarcasm.

"Why do you cover them up if they're all accidents?" Alice asked from where she stood next to Jasper, tears in her eyes.

"Would you walk around like this?" I asked, my voice wobbling.

"No," she replied, "Don't lie Bella. You're terrible at it."

"I have to," I whispered.

"No you don't," Esme whispered from her place on the porch.

"You won't want anything to do with me if I tell you the truth," I said bitterly.

"We want to help you Bella, no matter what it is," Esme replied, her voice full of compassion, "You're another daughter to me."

It was becoming hard not to burst into tears. I'd done that at the dance in Edward's company. I'd nearly spurted the truth then too, but that wasn't deliberately. I decided to leave it alone then too. I bit my lip hard, trying to stop the tears spilling over when they filled up in my eyes. My vision blurred a little, and I blinked a few times.

"Let us help you," Edward begged, pleading with both his voice and his eyes.

That was it.

The tears flowed over, everything catching up with me. Immediately, Edward wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me into his chest. If I wasn't trying my best not to be done with it and blurt out the truth, I'd have revelled in the fact that Edward wasn't wearing a shirt, and that I was wearing just a bikini, but I didn't. Instead, I sobbed against Edward as he rubbed his hand soothingly up and down my back, whispering gently to me. Eventually, my tears ceased, and Edward pulled away, looking me dead in the eye.

"Please."

That was how I found myself telling the Cullens everything. Everything from my parents' deaths, to Sarah and Billy's divorce, to the first slap when I was six. I told them of the abuse throughout my childhood, and how the entire town had been sworn to secrecy, and how nobody was allowed to befriend me.

I explained Billy's accident, and how I'd hoped to appeal to any goodness left in Jacob. I told them of Leah's letter to me, and how we'd become friends. I told them, after slight hesitation, of the rape from Jacob, and of how Billy supported him, and encouraged him to use me for whatever he wanted.

I told them of how, eventually, the Elders at La Push had told Billy to send me to Forks High. I told them about how nervous I'd been to let anyone into my life, worried about them getting hurt by the Blacks. I told them of what had happened when Edward had so kindly dropped me off at home, and of the real reason I hadn't been answering my phone.

And eventually, I told them of all the reasons I'd been unwilling to tell the truth. I explained my fear of rejection, and I explained how I was worried, was still worried, that I'd lose everyone I'd come to care about by explaining who I really was, and what really happened behind closed doors.

When I had finished my tale, which had obviously taken up quite some time, silence met my ears. I looked at everyone around me, and was unable to read their expressions. That was Jasper's area of expertise. I realised that my worst fears had been real. They were about to reject me. They'd take me to the police, and they'd never speak to me again. I'd lost them already.

A slight sob escaped my lips again, and I turned my gaze away from their faces, preparing myself for Carlisle to ask me to get dressed and come to the police station. I was suddenly aware of how much I'd hoped the Cullens would help me with my situation, and how much I'd hoped everything between us would be ok. But they'd realised that I was endangering them every second I was on their property.

Needless to say, I was incredibly surprised when I felt someone, presumably Edward, pull me into another gentle hug. He rocked us backwards and forwards gently, humming a tune I was unfamiliar with. I couldn't ask him what it was then, but I made a mental note to ask him soon. Providing the hug meant that I wasn't being taken away.

And hell, Edward gave a good hug.

"Bella?" came Carlisle's soft voice, "Can I have a look at your injuries in my office?"

I looked up at him, wiping away my tears, and nodded.

They wanted to help me.

I was free.

Finally.

Edward released me from his embrace, but kept his arm around me as we followed Carlisle up the front steps into the magnificent Cullen house. I saw Alice hovering out of the corner of my eye, wondering whether or not to come. Carlisle clearly saw the same thing, for he motioned her to follow. Alice darted up the steps, catching us up in a second. She shot me a small, sad smile and squeezed my hand.

"It'll be ok Bella," she said, "Trust me."

I gave her a watery smile.

"Thank you," I said, not just thanking Alice.

"I speak for all of us Bella. We want to help you," Carlisle said as he opened his office door, "Could you sit down there please?"

I did as he asked, sitting on the long sofa, which was covered in an old, white sheet, which had worn through in places, and had faded slightly, probably due to the sun. Or rather, the tiny smidgen of light that made its way through the dense clouds of the small town called Forks.

"I'd rather you left Edward," Carlisle said quietly.

"Ok. I'll be downstairs Bella," Edward said. Ever so gently, Edward laid his hands on my shoulders and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.

He's kissed me.

Sure, it hadn't been a full-on kiss, and I hadn't kissed him, but his lips had made contact with my body.

I could have leapt for joy.

I smiled at Edward as he left, and Alice sat down next to me, effectively taking Edward's place.

"Ok Bella," Carlisle said, "I'm going to do a full examination. If you become too uncomfortable, or it hurts too much, tell me immediately."

"Ok."

***

Two and a half hours later, I'd had wounds cleaned, prodded, dressed, and stitched. I'd had x-rays of my lower abdomen to make sure Jacob hadn't caused any serious damage with his rape, and I'd been given strong pain-killers for the pain. I had to admit, it felt amazing. Alice had given me a sponge-bath, brushed out my hair, and helped me to dress in some clean clothes. I felt so very much better, and had thanked both Alice and Carlisle more times than I could count.

Remind me why I was worried about telling them the truth? Leah had been right. The Cullens were taking amazing care of me. They were doing more than I'd ever imagined them doing, even when I was having one of my rare optimistic days. My love for all of the Cullens had more than doubled since the previous day.

Alice lead me downstairs into the living room, where the rest of her family were assembled. Esme immediately wrapped me in a motherly hug, taking more care than she needed to of the large gashes on my back. Rose too had given me a gentle hug. Jasper had told me that he was there for me, and I appreciated his words a lot.

"If you ever want me to kick their asses, I'm more than willing," Emmett said, very seriously. I smiled at him. There was just one question still nagging at the back of my mind, and ever-observant Edward noticed it immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "Does something hurt?"

"Much less than it did three hours ago. It's just," I sighed, "I'm really grateful for all this, but once I return to the Blacks' house they'll kill me. Literally."

"You are never going back there," Edward growled.

Esme shot Edward a warning look, clearly not impressed by his tone of voice.

"Edward is right. You're perfectly welcome to stay here. We don't want you to get hurt again," she said softly.

Their kindness was becoming too much. I felt myself getting emotional again, and tears sprung to my eyes. Edward was at my side in a second, moving Alice aside as he reached me. He took my shoulders again, looking into my eyes with much concern. Edward was becoming far too sweet, and I fell for him even harder. If Edward didn't return my feelings, and there was no reason he should return them, I'd be devastated.

"Bella?"

"I'm fine," I said, my voice cracking, "But after all thise years I'm finally..." I trailed off as tears rolled down my cheeks again. What was wrong with me? This was becoming ridiculous. I'd cried once when Carlisle was examining me, and I'd cried twice - three times now - in Edward's arms, I thought, as Edward pulled me into another hug.

"It's ok Bella. We understand. It'll get better, I promise," he whispered, his words for my ears only. Well, Alice could probably hear from where she stood, not far away from us, but no-one else could.

I took a deep breath, and my tears subsided. This time, Edward didn't release me from his arms, and I didn't want him to. I registered, vaguely, that the Cullens had all changed, and were wearing ordinary clothes, all except for Alice, who had stayed with me all through my medical examination.

I glanced at the clock, and saw that it had just gone six o'clock. Outside, it was darker, though it wasn't pitch-black like it was late at night in Forks. Esme too must have seen the time, for she asked us if we wanted anything to eat. Emmett relied with an enthusiastic yes, and Esme left to the kitchen, chuckling at her son's antics.

I realised that I wanted to tell the Clearwaters about my escape, and how the Cullens had helped me. I looked up at Edward, who was staring down at my with... Pride? Adoration? Those were the emotions I read in his face, but I must have been mistaken. He cared for me, but he didn't adore me. And why would he be proud of me?

"Edward, can I use your phone?" I asked.

"Of course. What for though?"

"I want to call the Clearwaters. They risked so much for me," I explained. Edward pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to me. Needing a little quiet to speak to them, I walked out of the room and into the hallway as I dialled Leah's number. I didn't know anyone else's, though I did have their home number on speed-dial. My phone was upstairs though.

Leah's phone rang for just a couple of seconds before she picked up.

"Hey Bella! Are you ok?" she asked, keeping her voice low. She probably thought Billy or Jacob could over-hear. The thought brought a smile to my face.

"I'm fine. Actually, I'm more than fine," I said.

"Oh? What happened?"

"You were right," I said.

"I'm always right Bella, but what particular thing was I right about?"

"The Cullens."

"Be a little specific Bella, please," she said, and I could imagine the roll of her eyes.

"Ok, so I'm staying at their house this weekend, and Alice basically decided that we'd have a water-fight in the garden. So she rushed me upstairs and lent me a bikini, and of course I had to apply emergency foundation," I began.

"Did you see Edward in swimming trunks?" she asked, giggling.

"Leah! He's only in the other room," I hissed, "But yes, I did. Anyway. So a water-fight broke out between Alice and Jasper, and Rose and Emmett. Edward got wet too. Emmett decided I was too dry, and sprayed me too, with a little help from Edward. When the water hit my skin, all my foundation began to run, and eventually my injuries were there for all to see. They asked me what the hell had happened, and I tried to pass it off as an accident."

"Bella," Leah sighed.

"They didn't believe me. So I broke down and told them everything. I thought they were going to reject me, but Carlisle patched me over, and Alice cleaned me up. Edward has been great too," I said, blushing a little.

"I told you so. Are you staying there permanently now?"

"For a while, at least. I don't know if I'll stay here forever."

"I'm so happy for you Bella. As soon as the Blacks are under lock and key, I'll come and see you, ok? And call me if you need anything. I assume this is Alice's cell."

"It's Edward's. Mine is upstairs," I said.

"Right. I'm glad you're safe now. I need to go, but I'll see you soon. Bye Bella!"

"Thank you for everything, and say hi to your family for me. Bye Leah."

I hit the 'end call' button on Edward's phone, and walked back into the living room to return it too him. He smiled at me as he took it back, and I thanked him.

"Any time Bella."

I noticed that both Rose and Emmett were absent, and I asked after them.

"They went upstairs. I suspect they're getting it on in peace," Alice said.

We all laughed at that, and I felt Edward sling him arm gently around my shoulders, mindful of my injuries now they'd been exposed to him.

"Dinner's ready you lot!" Esme called.

***

Having eaten my fill, and thanking Esme profusely for making such a nice meal, I returned to the den with the other Cullen kids. I was beginning to feel like a real part of their family already, and their exceptance of me warmed my heart. I was lucky to have such amazing friends.

It felt like centuries ago that we were watching Harry Potter in here, but in fact, it was only a few hours. Alice turned on the sleek flat-screen and hit play on the remote control. The film started up again, and I realised that I'd sat down next to Edward, having walked up with him. To an outsider, we'd probably look like a couple. With Edward's arm slung around my shoulders.

If only...

I rested my head on Edward's shoulder, and he pulled me gently against his side. I had no idea when we'd become so intimate, but it had all stemmed from our near-kiss at the dance. Even if we couldn't be a couple, I loved these little moments that had my heart in my throat, and my lips pulled into a smile.

***

I must have fallen asleep at some point, for I awoke to my name being called softly as someone shook me gently.

"Bella?" the voice called, "Wake up sweet girl."

I opened my eyes slowly to see Edward's face over mine. I seemed to have ended up sleeping on Edward's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind though, and I certainly wasn't complaining. I yawned widely and sat up with a sigh, missing the contact immediately. Edward smiled at me.

"What's the time?" I asked, my voice a little thick from sleep.

"Just before ten. Esme thought you could do with some rest. The others have gone upstairs, but I doubt they're sleeping," he said with a grimace.

Right on cue, Esme popped her head round the door, smiling at the two of us.

"Just checking you two are ok," she said.

"We're fine. Thanks Esme," I said, smiling back at her.

"Where's Bella sleeping?" Esme asked, directing her question at Edward.

"She could sleep in my room, or Alice's. I wouldn't advise Rose's," Edward said.

"Why don't you sleep in Edward's room? There's more than enough space," Esme said, "I'm trusting you Edward."

Edward rolled his eyes at his mother.

"You think I'll even be thinking about that with what Bella's gone through with Jacob?"

"As I said, I'm trusting you."

With that, Esme left the room. Edward stood up, holding out his hand to me. I took it, and let him help me up. As we left the room, Edward made no effort to drop my hand, for which I was grateful. He pushed open the door to his room, and I followed him.

"My stuff is in Alice's room still," I said.

"I'll get it. You use the bathroom," Edward said.

A few moments later, I'd brushed my teeth and washed my face gently. I slipped out, and saw Edward laying on his bed in just a pair of low-hanging sweat-pants. Hello holy hotness... He shot me a smile.

"You're stuff is there. I'll only be in here if you need me," Edward said.

The door to his en suite closed softly, and I stripped out of my clothes, changing into a clean pair of panties and a cool tank-top. I sat on the edge of Edward's bed, and he appeared a moment later. He shot me another one of his pantie-dropping grins, beautiful and crooked, and walked over to me.

"You ok?"

I nodded.

"You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the couch," he said.

"I can't take your bed from you."

"I can't make you sleep on the couch," he countered.

"And I can't make you sleep on the couch."

"Bella, you're not well, and you've been through a lot. Just take the damn bed."

"Why don't we just share it?" I suggested. I clamped a hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe I'd just said that. I felt a blush rise up my cheeks, and waited for Edward to laugh or something.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

"Why would I?"

"I just thought that with, um, Jacob, you'd be against the idea," he stuttered. It was the first time I'd seen Edward lost for words.

"No," I assured him.

"Ok then," he said, holding back the covers for me to climb in.

I scrambled into the comfortable, enormous bed, and curled up into my normal position. Edward climbed in next to me, having turned out the main light and drawn the curtains. The only thing illuminating the room was a small lamp next to his side of the bed. Edward faced me, and ran his fingers over a large bruise on my cheek.

"I'll never get used to seeing you like this," he murmured.

"I'm ok," I said.

"No, you're not. Bella, I want you to know, I'm here for you. Anything you need, anything you want... Ask me."

I want you, I thought. I want you to be my boyfriend. I want you forever.

"I will. Thank you Edward," I whispered instead.

"You don't need to thank me," he said, shaking his head, "Goodnight Bella."

He turned over and flicked the light off, before turning back to face me. I could just make out his silhouette from the faint glow from the moon that came through the gaps in the curtains.

"Come here," Edward whispered, holding out his arms. I scooted towards him, and he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to him. I felt him press another one of his tender kisses to my forehead before I fell asleep.

My last conscious thought was how much I loved Edward.

***

**A/N**

**Ok! So it was longer than the last chapter, but not as long as I'd thought it would be. Then again, I'm quite pleased with this chapter. Leave me your thoughts on the turn of events, and our two love-birds! You know the drill by now. Love, hate, or Robert Pattinson.**

**Lucy xX**


	18. Chapter 18-Undying Love

Edward's POV

What I'd said to Bella had been true. No matter how many days, weeks, or even months, the bruises and cuts that adorned her beautiful body stayed, they would still shock me each time I looked at her. As she slept peacefully, she shifted slightly. I loosened my hold around her, allowing her to move freely. I was more than a little shocked when she snuggled closer to me, and rested her head on my chest.

I brushed away a strand of hair from her face, and tucked it gently behind her ear. I brushed my fingertips lightly across the injuries on her cheeks, anger filling me as I scrutinised the marks left on her by the Blacks. The people that were meant to care for her. They'd taken away everything.

I thought back to that afternoon. She'd walked out with Alice and Rose, and had eventually taken off her dress, leaving her in a small bikini that showed off her perfect form. I'd had to work very hard not to stare at her, and I'd failed at times. Bella was avoiding my gaze through the majority of the afternoon, and I'd wondered if, somehow, I'd upset her.

It had been a harmless bit of fun. I'd snatched her up, allowing Emmett to soak her with water. I'd seen something running down her body - something that wasn't water, but that had been washed off by the water - but I'd assumed it was sun-cream or body lotion. I hadn't dreamt that she was using make-up to cover anything.

I certainly hadn't expected to have bruise after bruise, cut after cut and scar after scar revealed to me. She hadn't realised at first, it seemed. We'd all been utterly shocked, though it seemed that Alice had had an inkling that there was something wrong with Bella. Nobody had guessed that she was being abused. It was so very obvious, looking at her body, exposed to all of us.

Once she'd realised, she was horrified. She seemed to think things over in her mind. I hardly noticed Esme and Carlisle walk out too. My parents' reactions had been the same as ours. Bella had attempted to chalk it up to accidents, but she was such a terrible liar, it didn't even sound convincing to Emmett, who could be quite gullible at times.

I'd ended up begging her to tell the truth. We all knew that she was being abused, but I knew that I for one wanted to hear it coming from her own, perfect lips. To my horror, she'd broken down at my words, sobbing uncontrollably. My heart had ached at the sound of her tears, and I'd wrapped her in a gentle hug immediately. Ever since the dance, we'd become far more intimate with each other, so I saw no reason for my actions upsetting her. Thankfully, I'd been right.

Eventually, she told us her story. About the Blacks, Jacob specifically. I had to suppress a growl. How dare they? How could they hurt someone so innocent and pure? The bastards would pay for hurting her. Then she began to talk about the evening I'd dropped her home after the game. I was puzzled, but I'd felt both furious and incredibly guilty that my actions had lead to such pain for her. Alice had been right. There was something bad going on that morning.

But what had hurt me the most was when Bella had explained her fears. Her irrational, ridiculous, silly fears. She feared that we wouldn't want to help her. She feared that once we heard what happened to her behind closed doors, we'd turn her over to the police and want nothing else to do with her.

Silly girl.

I knew full well that not one person standing there, listening to Bella tell us of her painfully bad life, wanted to do anything but help her in all and every way possible. Throughout her tale, her voice was so pained and upset that I would have done anything to take it away. Anything. Anything except giving her back to the Blacks.

We'd all been in such shock when she finished, that nobody said a word. There was silence until a sob ripped through the air. For the second time that afternoon, I pulled her into a hug while she cried a little. I was incredibly proud of Bella, in some ways. She'd suffered through all of that, telling nobody and trusting nobody to keep others safe, so she thought. She was so selfless. But she was also amazingly stupid. How she could have thought we wouldn't want to help her for a second...

Alice and I had gone upstairs with her to Carlisle's office, to have her checked out. If those inhuman people had done anything to hurt her permenantly, then I would hunt them down and make sure they got the long, painful death they deserved. I didn't care a damn if I was sent to prison. Carlisle had sent me away, and I hadn't protested. Yes, I never wanted to let her out of my sight, but if he wanted to go over her entire body, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable by staying in the room. And she was in good hands. I'd trust both Carlisle and Alice with my life.

And I'd kissed her. It hadn't been nearly the kiss I wanted to give her, it had been a kiss of tender affection. Brotherly, I suppose you could call it. But I didn't care. I'd kissed her. I'd gone downstairs feeling like I could take on the world. Specifically, the Blacks.

I sighed, looking down at Bella's sleeping form again. She began to fidget, so once again, I moved my arms, giving her space. I'd been unable to sleep, due to the thoughts and emotions pulsing through me, and watching Bella sleep had been fascinating. Mostly as I could marvel at her beauty.

I was a love-struck fool.

Suddenly, Bella began to whimper in her sleep. My heart thudded in my chest, and I saw that Bella had laid her head directly over my heart. She thrashed around slightly, and I realised that she was having a nightmare. I put my hand gently on her shoulder and shook her in an attempt to awaken her. Unfortunately, this simple movement seemed to fuel her imagination, and she cried out, kicking wildly.

"Bella," I murmured, "Wake up. It's only a dream. Bella!" I called louder, right in her ear. Suddenly, she shot up, her eyes flying open. She looked terrified, and a little 'oh' escaped her mouth, before she burst into tears. I cradled her to my chest, rocking her slowly and gently. I hummed the tune I'd composed the day I realised I loved her, that was dedicated to her. Everything I felt about Bella was poured into that piece.

"Edward," she cried. I stroked her hair slowly as I continued to hum. After what seemed like forever, her tears ceased, and I pulled away to look at her. She avoided my gaze, blushing. She was clearly embarrassed, though she had no reason to be. She was holding up remarkably well, considering what she'd be subjected to over the past, what? Eleven years?

Bastards.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her softly.

"I was in a corridor, and I heard you shouting. I ran to you, and when I found you, Billy had you. He shot you, and then Jacob..." her voice faltered on Jacob's name. I could guess what happened next. The coward raped her. She didn't need to say it out loud.

"It'll be ok Bella," I whispered, "The police will get them under lock and key soon."

It was true. At least I hoped it was.

"I hope so," she replied, looking worried.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, cupping her face in my hands.

"It's just- Never mind," she sighed.

"Talk to me Bella."

"What if they come after me?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Listen to me," I commanded, "No matter what happens, we will protect you. All of us will. You're family Bella, and the Cullens don't turn their backs on family."

She nodded mutely, and stifled a yawn. Ugh. What was wrong with me? The poor girl was woken up by a nightmare, and then I keep her awake for far longer than necessary. I laid back on the pillows and tugged her down with me, careful of her injuries. I didn't want to see the girl I loved hurt. Ever.

Bella curled back into my side, laying her head back on my chest. Maybe her earlier movement was more conscious that I'd thought. I wrapped my arms around her again, gently, and watched as she dropped off to sleep. I knew, without a doubt, that when all of this drama was over, I'd be asking Bella on a date.

I hoped to hell she'd say yes.

***

Bella's POV

I was hugging something, and it was hugging me back. At first, I thought that perhaps I was imagining it. After all, the only people a seventeen-year-old girl would be hugging at home, in bed, were her parents. And I didn't have any. But it was too real. I could even feel the softly beating heart right below my right ear, and the warm breath on the back of my neck.

Was Jacob playing some sick, twisted game with me? Was I going to open my eyes to his grinning face, and be in for a day of torture? It was Sunday after all. I didn't have to go to school, and neither did he. Billy wouldn't have any meeting he had to go to either. But I remembered that Jacob and Billy were away for the weekend, and that I was over with the Cullens.

Then I remembered everything. Everything I'd said, everything the Cullens had done. Right down to laying next to Edward in his bed, and having that vile nightmare. My eyes flew open, heart racing, and focused on the bronze-haired God next to me. The shirtless bronze-haired God.

Edward was fast asleep, wrapped around me, his handsome face buried in my hair. He was breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling beside me. I loved him so much. So much it hurt. His looks were just a bonus. Edward Cullen was so much more to me than a pretty face, and I wanted him to know it.

Edward mumbled a little in his sleep, and drew me closer to him, which caused me to giggle quietly. It was almost scary how just being in his presence made me forget absolutely everything, including the intense pain I was constantly in. Though this had eased somewhat since Carlisle had sorted me out.

Edward let out a yawn, and I felt his head move from its position in my hair. He smiled at me, and I melted. There were so many emotions in his eyes, and I couldn't read a single one of them. I could hope that one of them was love, and that it was for me, but that would be childish and pointless. It would only hurt me. After all, we had amazing, popular Edward, and plain, average Bella. What could he ever see in me?

Exactly.

"Morning Bella," he greeted me, both of us still on our sides.

"Morning Edward."

"Did you sleep ok?"

"Better than I have for years," I said truthfully. I left out my suspicions that it was down to being in his arms.

"I'm glad. Feeling alright?"

I nodded, still not used to people asking after my well-fare. Well, at least not seriously. There was a momentary pause, in which Edward watched me carefully, probably taking in everything I'd been hiding from him for the last few months, and I tried not to stare at him. He was just perfect, both inside and out.

"Why don't you let Alice or Rose help you get dressed, and then we'll have breakfast?" Edward suggested, breaking the silence.

"Ok," I said, shyly climbing out of the bed. Feeling a little self-conscious, with Edward's sharp eyes on my retreating figure, I slipped out of the room and headed towards Alice's bedroom door. I knocked softly, not wanting to disturb her if she was asleep. I hadn't seen the time when I'd woken up, so I had no idea whether or not she'd be awake.

"Come in!" she chirruped. I opened the door and entered, smiling at my friend. "Morning Bella!" she called, rather too loudly and excitably for first thing in the morning. I noticed that Alice was already dressed, and her hair freshly washed.

"Morning Alice," I said with a smile, "I came to grab my stuff."

"It's all over there," she said, waving a hand towards my bag of stuff, "But if you're planning to stay in Edward's room, I'd suggest moving some of your stuff."

I grinned.

"I'll take you up on that," I replied.

"Sit down Bella," Alice said, smirking suddenly. Once I had complied with her request, she continued. "Has Edward kissed you again?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Yes, but only like he did yesterday."

Alice's smile grew until I was sure her face was about to split in two. She squealed happily and threw herself at me. I let out a quiet 'oof!' as her body hit mine, and let out a laugh as she wrapped me in a hug. This hug was possibly a bit lighter than it would have been, had I not told her of the Blacks and what happened to me.

"Let go of me Alice," I laughed.

Alice moved back, letting go of me.

"What got you so excited?"

"Hm, let's think... My best friend has been crushing on my brother for months, and my brother has been crushing on my best friend for months. Finally, having revealed that there are people practically killing her, my brother kisses my best friend. Hello Bella? Engage brain please?"

"That's not true," I said quietly.

"What isn't?" she asked impatiently, "You like him, he li-"

"Edward isn't crushing on me," I sighed, "We're only friends. He's said it enough times," I said, the last part sounding bitter.

"Oh Bella, you are so blind. Who kisses their friend?"

"Edward, clearly," I replied, shooting her a slight glare. Alice was getting my hopes up pointlessly, and it would hurt me in the future. Alice shook her head sadly.

"In five years, don't bother apologising for being ignorant," she said, handing me my bag.

Alice seemed certain, but I put it down to wishful thinking.

***

Three hours later, I'd dressed, eaten Esme's delicious breakfast, and been checked up by Carlisle again. He'd confirmed his previous suspicion of a broken rib, but said that it was healing correctly, and he didn't want to cause further damage. He also said that although my physical injuries could have been significantly worse, it would take time to heal from the abuse both physically and mentally. He mentioned that he could arrange an appointment with a therapist if I needed him to. To be honest, the thought of going to a therapist scared me like hell. It would drag it out, whereas if I left it alone, once I'd spoken to the police it would all be over - Carlisle had offered to take me to see an officer once he got home from work. Of course, it didn't say any of this to Carlisle.

Us kids sat down in the den upstairs. Rose and Emmett had promptly snagged the sofa, and Alice and Jasper had taken the love-seat, which left a squishy bean-bag. Unfortunately, it was too small for both Edward and I to sit on it and not touch. I had a sneaky suspicion that Alice and Rose had planned this. I shot them both a nasty look as I made my way over, but Alice grinned at me, and Rose smirked. Bitches.

Edward sat down, looking delicious in a pair of deep blue jeans and a button-down shirt. I hesitated, not sure where to sit as Edward had more or less sat in the middle of the bean-bag. Edward must have noticed my hesitation, as he shot me a small smile and motioned for me to sit between his legs. I blushed as I sat down, not meeting anyone's gaze as Alice turned on the TV. We'd decided just to relax and laze around today, which suited me fine. I was so fucking tired, mentally, despite having had the best nights sleep I could remember.

CSI came on, and normally I'd have been captured by the program. I loved it. But I was too preoccupied by Edward, who had wrapped his arms lightly around my waist, his hands resting in my lap. I felt a little awkward, if I were being honest. I'd never sat with a guy in any form of intimate position, and Edward and I weren't even dating. I had no idea how I was supposed to act, or what I was supposed to do. Consequently, I was tensed up and leant forwards slightly as we watched.

"Relax Bella," Edward murmured, "It's ok."

Biting my lower lip pretty hard, I tried my best to let go of everything and relax against Edward. But I couldn't. I just didn't have a clue as to what I should have been doing. Should I lean back against his chest? Sit forward? Cross my legs? Bring my knees to my chest? Put my hands on his?

I heard Edward sigh quietly, and I felt him move his hands away from my waist. He placed them on my shoulders and tugged me back, gently, so that my back was resting against his chest. I could feel Edward's calm, rhythmic heartbeat beating against me, and it calmed me down. Before I knew what I was doing, I had laid my head back and had my fingers interlinked with his as he wound his arms back round my waist.

Bliss.

"Better?" Edward asked quietly, so as not to disrupt the others. Alice and Jasper were both watching intently, and Rose seemed interested, though Emmett appeared to be having great fun distracting her.

"Much. Thank you."

Edward has no idea how freaking perfect he is, I thought as I watched some guy on the TV seal a mysterious letter in a plastic bag. For about two hours, we watched a couple of CSI episodes in peace, exchanging a quiet conversation every now and then. Alice and Jasper were clearly addicted to the program.

Just as the third episode came on, I realised that only one of Edward's hands were in my lap. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I felt someone, obviously Edward, playing with my hair. Edward was playing with my hair?! I wondered what it was that Edward and I had. Was it a slightly intimate friendship? Or was it just Edward trying to look after me, after all I'd told him the previous day?

I suspected the latter. After all, why would Edward want to have anything more than a friendship with someone like me? I asked myself. I'd pointed out all the reasons the was so far out of my league before, so I decided not to upset myself. I tried to push the thoughts away, but Edward's constant presence made that a little difficult.

Thankfully, in some ways, Esme popped her head round the door at that moment, looking beautiful as ever.

"Do want something to eat?" she asked softly, glancing to Edward and myself several times. A small, loving smile appeared on her face. I immediately knew where Edward got his tender compassion from.

"Hell yeah!" Emmett said loudly. We rolled our eyes.

"Mood killer," Edward muttered in my ear. I couldn't contain the sudden, girly giggle that rose up my throat and escaped my lips. Lips that craved to be touched by Edward's...

"Sandwiches ok?"

We all nodded in answer to Esme's question, and she left, saying she'd call us when lunch was ready. Someone caring about whether I wanted something to eat was not something I was used to, and, to my horror and embarrassment, it brought tears to my eyes. Thankfully, everyone had turned back to the program, so nobody noticed it when I reached up and wiped away my tears.

Nobody except Edward.

"Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, his velvet voice laced with concern.

"Nothing," I whispered, which was true.

"Why are you crying then?" he persisted gently.

"It's just that I'm not used to anyone looking after me," I admitted quietly. I'd realised long ago that I could tell Edward anything. Anything except my undying love for him. His arms tightened around me in a gentle hug, which I found incredibly comforting.

"It's ok," he murmured, "You never have to go back there. We'll look after you."

"Thank you," were the only words I could find to utter in reply.


	19. Chapter 19-You Have No Idea

**A/N**

**I had a bit of trouble getting this one to flow, but only because I knew what I wanted at the very end, and I needed to make my characters do something for the rest of the chapter. They were just too eager! The first time I wrote this chapter, it was about half my normal length, so I had to delete the last few paragraphs and start again. It was so, incredibly frustrating. **

**I can't wait to see what you think at the end, as always and your comments mean the world to me. Honestly, even if I don't reply to all, I read and cherish every one. **

**Enough of the sentimental crap, and on with the story!**

**Lucy xX**

***

The rest of our Sunday was spent lazing on front of the TV, and wrapped in Edward's arms. Of course, the latter was far more exciting than the former. Emmett reminded us, with some enthusiasm, that we had just a week left of school, and then we'd be on Christmas break. My first few months at Forks High had flown by, and yet, so much had happened. Obviously, the best and worse thing, was falling in love with Edward.

We were watching the third Harry Potter movie when we heard the front door open, and Carlisle called out, telling Esme that he was home. The couple was really sweet, and so clearly still in love. I wanted what they had, and I wanted to have what they had with Edward. Forever.

Just a couple of minutes later, the door to the den was being gently pushed open, and Carlisle stuck his head around. Alice paused the film, and everyone looked at him expectantly. I was almost nervous. I knew that I should have been heading back to the Blacks' house by then, but the Cullens were adamant that I should stay with them. I wasn't about to complain.

"Are you ready to go down to the police station Bella?" Carlisle asked, his voice soft. I gulped a little, but nodded. I felt Edward squeeze my hand gently, and I was incredibly grateful for his support. Carlisle told me that he'd meet me downstairs in a few minutes, and I nodded mutely again.

I was unable to focus on the film for the short time, so I stood up, tugging my shoes back on. I still wasn't sure if I could do this. Sure, I knew of Charlie Masen, and I'd seen him around a few times, but he was a stranger, really. I wasn't sure if I could tell my story again without breaking down. Then again, I'd have Carlisle's support...

"Bella?" I heard Edward call gently as I began to descend the stairs. I paused and turned around.

"Yeah?"

"I- Just- Oh come here," he said, opening his arms slightly and moving towards me a little. I closed the minuscule distance between us and felt him wrap his arms around me. I sighed in contentment and put my arms around Edward, closing my eyes and laying my head on his chest.

Home.

For the first time in my life, that I could remember, I truely felt at home.

"Come with me?" I blurted out, before I knew what I'd said.

"Do you want me to?" Edward asked, dipping his head to look into my eyes.

Blushing, I nodded.

"Then of course," he murmured.

Edward's tantalising, emerald eyes were smouldering. There was absolutely no other way to put it. The problem was, being little, inexperienced me, I had no idea what that meant. For all I knew, it could have meant that Edward hated me with every fibre of his being, but I guessed that that was unlikely. After all, we'd become friends, and he'd cared for me so well. All I knew was that Edward felt something very, very passionately.

After a moment of gazing deeply into each others' eyes, Edward sighed and released me from his arms. I felt cold without his touch, though I was a little comforted when he took my hand as we walked down the stairs to meet Carlisle.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow at us, and Edward informed Carlisle that he was coming too.

Thank God.

***

Half an hour later, the three of us were sitting in a small, untidy office, belonging to Charlie Masen, the Chief of Forks Police. The walls were all painted white, and the beige floor tiled. Photographs adorned the walls, mostly of Charlie and a pretty woman with wavy, light brown hair and a slim figure. Some were of Harry Clearwater, some of Sue, and some... Some of my parents.

I tore my gaze from the photos, and looked at Chief Masen's messy desk. Papers were littered everywhere, including on top of the keyboard. A pad of Post-It notes was perched precariously on top of the computer screen, and a coffee cup stood next to it. A dirty, lilac, pot containing pens, pencils and a ruler was amongst the junk. Or not junk, as the case may be.

I sat beside Edward, clutching his hand nervously as the Chief read over some papers, chewing the inside of his mouth and frowning at times. There was silence for a few moments, save for the slight rustling of papers, and then the Chief looked up and regarded me with a careful eye.

"Tell me everything you can Bella," the Chief said, folding his hands together.

Taking a deep breath, and holding Edward's hand impossibly tighter, I began to recount the events of my life once again. My voice faltered a little when I reached the part about Jacob and his rape, but a squeeze of my hand from Edward encouraged me to spur on with my tale.

At last, I finished telling it for what I hoped would be the last time, in such full detail at least, and sat back, feeling exhausted. I felt tired all the time, according to Carlisle that feeling would stay for a few weeks at the minimum, but telling my story had taken a lot out of me, emotionally.

I heard the scratch of pen on paper for a few seconds, before the Chief looked up again, his expression sad.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that. We should be able to get you officially out of Mr. Black's care in a few hours. You don't need to be involved. Do you have anything at the house that you want? Clothes or anything?"

"Um, yeah. I was staying with the Cullens anyway, so I have a few clothes there. All my others are at the house," I said, blushing a little.

"I'll get Mark to go and get your stuff when he informs Mr. Black that you're being removed from his care. Any furniture you want?"

"I don't really have any. I suppose I could do with having my laptop, but I've been saving for a new one."

"Mark can get your laptop too then," the Chief said, scribbling something down, "Unless they plead guilty, there'll be a trial. I'm not going to lie to you, that's often the hardest part. Jacob will probably try and make out that you were egging him on. As for what Mr. Black will say to defend himself, I've no idea. It will be hard Bella, but they haven't really got a chance. I'm not going to promise you anything, but I'd say that there's a good chance they'll be under lock and key for a good few years soon," he said grimly.

"Thank you Chief," I said, my voice quiet.

"Charlie," he corrected me, "I'm hardly a stranger."

My confusion must have shown on my face, for Charlie laughed a little.

"I knew you well as a baby. I was friends with your father."

I didn't really know what to say in reply, so I just smiled.

"I'm sure I'll see you sooner or later Bella, so goodbye for now," Charlie said, shaking my hand.

"Bye Charlie," Carlisle said, "Thank you."

"No problem. I'll need that medical report though Doc."

Carlisle nodded.

"See you Edward."

"Charlie," Edward said, nodding respectfully.

As we left the station, Carlisle glanced towards Edward and myself, and then down at our hands, which, I realised, were still joined. Edward shot me a smile, and squeezed my hand in his. I too looked down at our joined hands, and noticed for the first time how much larger Edward's hand was than mine.

I also noticed how amazing it felt to have his large, warm hand wrapped around mine, his long, pianist fingers on my skin... Once again, I got the strange, new feeling of 'home'. It was the first time I could remember that I felt truely happy, and at peace, despite the Blacks. Maybe that was what love did to you.

***

The following morning, I woke, once again, wrapped in Edward's arms. Unfortunately, the thing that woke me up was an alarm clock, and it was making the most incredibly irritating beeping noise. Edward let out a groan beside me, and I heard his fist slam down on the alarm, silencing it.

Letting out a little 'hm', Edward closed his eyes again and pulled me closer to him. I laughed a bit, which caused him to peel back his eyelids. He shot me a mock glare, and then released me from his strong hold. I sat up slowly and stretched a little, careful of the stitches across my shoulders and back.

"Morning Edward."

"Morning Bella. Not a good morning," he grumbled. I laughed again, and told him that I was going to get dressed and showered.

Forty minutes later, after pulling on some clothes delivered by Mark late the previous night and eating, I was walking out of the Cullens' house, and climbing into Edward's Volvo. It seemed strange going to school in the Volvo, and not being picked up at the turning to their house in Alice's yellow Porsche.

Nevertheless, I wasn't complaining. Although, my turning up with Edward did spark rumours about us, which caused me to roll my eyes. As I heard Tanya point out to Victoria, who seemed to be stressing over the rumours, I was so far out of his league it was untrue. No need to worry about Swan.

Yeah.

Bitches.

True, but bitches.

Bidding the Cullens goodbye, I headed to English. I hoped that Jessica and Ben were in. I doubted I could make it through today without a load of friends. I felt like utter shit, and I was quite sure I looked like utter shit too. I hadn't bothered to put foundation or make-up anywhere except my face. I had no doubt that the rumours would be flying soon enough.

Luckily for me, I spotted Jessica and Ben sitting together almost instantly, laughing. I made my way over to them and sat down next to Ben, greeting them quietly.

"Morni- What the fuck happened to your arms?" Ben asked immediately. I groaned.

"Bella?" Jessica asked.

I sighed.

"I'll tell you at lunch, ok? I'm going to have to repeat myself several times else."

Seeming worried, but appeased, they both nodded, shooting me strange glances as Mr. Banner began the lesson, which was rather dull.

The bell rang, and I headed to calc, searching for Angela, and possibly Irina, who had switched to our calc class. I sat down in an empty seat towards the back, ignoring Mike as he called out to me. I was incredibly relieved when Angela walked through the door, Irina in tow. Both of them frowned when they saw me, but I gave them the same answer I'd given to Ben and Jessica.

Spanish passed similarly, and I added Kate to the list of people that I had yet to tell about me. Before I knew it, Angela had finished complaining about how impossible Spanish was, and we were walking to lunch. I spotted Edward, Alice and Rose sitting at a large table on their own, and I shot them a smile.

We headed towards them, and I slipped into a chair next to Edward. He smiled at me, which caused Angela to raise an eyebrow. Rolling my eyes at her, I waited nervously for everyone else to turn up, before Angela turned on me, demanding to know, and I quote, 'what the bloody hell' was going on.

Staring at the table all the while, I told my friends the extremely abridged version of my life-story, which I had told twice already. Once again, my tale was met with silence, and then a load of sympathy, which I really didn't want. I shot Alice a plea for help, and she quickly diverted their attention away from me, by discussing Christmas and new year.

Thankfully, lunch passed quickly, and I was soon heading to biology with Edward.

"How're you holding up?" he asked, shooting one of Tanya's sheep a glare as she made to approach us. Or Victoria's sheep, as the case may be. Exactly who was classed as 'Queen Bee' was as of yet unclear, though I hoped that Rose made good on her words the time we first we first met. 'Head cheerleader and about to kick that bitch that calls herself Queen Bee down.'

"Ok," I said, shrugging slightly, "I don't know why it feels so different now. Nothing's changed. Well, only for the better. I guess I've become weak."

Edward shook his head, looking a little angry. I wondered what I'd done to spark his anger, and thought back over what I'd just said. Surely none of that could make him angry...

"Don't ever let me hear those words come out of your mouth again. You are anything but weak. You spent eleven years in intense pain to protect other people. While it was a little foolish, it was any but weak. And," he said, cutting me off as I began to speak, "If most people were in your position now, they'd be collapsed on the couch at home. I wouldn't judge them for it either. You're incredibly strong to have done what you did for all that time, and just as strong to drag yourself to school today."

Finishing his little rant, Edward's expression softened a little, and he opened the door to the biology classroom. We sat down in our seats together, and waited, chatting quietly, for Dr. Schmitz. She entered the classroom a few minutes later, and the lesson began. She told us that after Christmas we'd begin doing dissections. First a lamb's heart, then an eye, then a frog. Edward looked rather excited by the topic, and it sounded pretty good to me too.

Dr. Schmitz handed out two sheets, in which we had to identify various bits of a heart, and an eyeball. I heard a few 'ew!'s from the girls as we saw the diagrams, which caused me to roll my eyes. Edward grinned at me, setting my heart racing. I was reminded of how awkward I felt around Edward not so long ago...

"You don't mind tearing open a dead animal then?" Edward asked with a smirk.

"Not really, no. I've done a heart before, but I've never done an eye or a frog. I liked doing the heart, though it stunk," I added, wrinkling my nose. Edward laughed his beautiful, musical laugh.

"We did a heart in Phoenix. They probably smelt worse because of the heat. The classroom stank for days."

"Gross," I said, turning back to my sheet as I caught sight of the time. We had a little over ten minutes of our lesson left before the bell went and I had to go to gym. Great.

The bell rang just as I finished labelling the parts of a heart. I threw my stuff into my bag and said goodbye to Edward. Alice was waiting for me just outside, as usual, and I smiled at her. We kept up a casual stream of chatter as we changed, and Alice winced when she saw the new stitches on my back and shoulder. I ignored her.

Gym passed slowly, as usual, but I managed not to inflict injury upon myself or others. This was probably due to Alice's tendency to pop up in front of me and hit the ball away from me. Volleyball was not my area of expertise. Eventually, Coach Clap blew his whistle and ended the game. We trudged back inside, and I changed back into my jeans and hoodie.

Alice shot me a smirk as we left, and a quick 'I'll speak to you later' was whispered in my ear as I neared Edward's Volvo. He was sitting in there already, listening to some Debussy. I swung the door open, causing him to jump a little.

"Survive gym?"

"Just," I said, climbing into the car.

Edward threw me a smile, and then pulled out of his space, joining the queue of cars to get out of the school. Unusually, our ride back to the house was silent, save for the gentle music in the background, and there seemed to be a tension in the air between us. I had no freaking idea why, and I hoped I hadn't upset or angered Edward somewhere.

Just as he parked in the driveway, Edward turned to me, looking nervous.

"I'll understand if you don't want to," Edward began, biting his lip a bit, "But," he hesitated.

"But?" I promoted him after another few seconds of silence.

"Would you like to go out to a movie this weekend?"

I froze.

"Like, a date?" I asked. It was too good to be true...

"Yeah. A date," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

Holy hell. I just about died. Edward Cullen was asking me, Bella Swan, on a date. Could this really be reality? If I was dreaming, I didn't want to wake up, so decided not to test it. It felt real. I could hear Edward's slightly-faster-than-usual breathing, I could hear my own thudding heart, and my deep, calming breaths to stop myself hyper-ventilating.

Definitely real.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Yes?"

"Yes, of course I'll go on a date with you!" I cried, leaning over the console and throwing my arms around him. Sweet hell, three days after I escaped from the pit of hell, a miracle in itself, Edward Freaking Cullen was asking me on a freaking date. Yes, I used 'freaking' twice in a few words.

Edward let out a little laugh and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to ask you that," he said, smiling at me.

"Believe me Edward," I said, his name feeling wonderful on my tongue, "I do."

***

**A/N**

**That's a little bit shorter than my normal chapter, but I hope the ending makes up for it!**

**Lucy xX**


	20. Third Person Interlude

**A/N**

**This is just a very short interlude about when Mark went round to the Blacks' place to inform them that Bella was being removed from their care, and to get Bella's stuff. Set during chapter 19. The suggestion came from R_DosterOver at Wattpad. Thanks hun!**

**Enjoy, and I'll be updating something soon. I may start 'Seducing the Good-Girl', which is going to be fun to write, I hope!**

**Lucy xX**

***

Third Person POV

_Sweaty palms? Check. Fast heart-rate? Check. Slightly shaky? Check._

When Charlie had told Mark Bella Swan's story, Mark had been shocked. He'd been even more shocked, and a bit horrified, when Charlie told him that it was up to him to tell the Blacks that Bella had ratted them out. Oh, and then Charlie said that Mark had to grab Bella's stuff.

And so it was that Mark, deputy of Forks Police, stood at the front door of a perfectly ordinary house, in a perfectly ordinary village, feeling more nervous than he'd ever felt capturing a criminal. These guys were nuts. The boy was fifteen, and he'd raped a girl two years older than him for pure pleasure? Ugh. And his father... Inhumane.

Finally, Mark knocked on the door, rapping loudly. Inside, he may have been nervous, but he had to pretend he wasn't. That was how things worked. If they saw you were nervous... Not good.

It was Jacob that answered the door.

"What?" he sneered.

"My name is Mark, I'm from Forks Police. I need to speak to you and your father," Mark said, putting on his most menacing, commanding face.

"Dad doesn't want to speak to you," Jacob spat.

"I'm afraid he doesn't have an option, unless he wants to be charged with violation of the law."

Mark couldn't really arrest Billy for not talking to him, the charges would never stick, but it had the desired effect. Shooting Mark daggers all the while, Jacob opened the door wider and let him in, pointing Mark to the living room. Billy sat in his wheelchair, watching the TV.

"Hello Mr. Black, there are a few things that need discussing," Mark began.

"I heard," Billy said, "Where the fuck is Bella?"

"Bella," Mark said, ignoring the bad language, "Is what I need to talk to you about."

A flash of fear crossed Billy's face, but this was quickly covered up with a sneer. He nodded, motioning for Mark to get on with it. Billy didn't want to have to wait there, not knowing anything. After all, it could be that Bella had gone missing. She was too scared for other people to ever rat them out. She knew that they'd kill her and her little saviours...

Calmly, using the notes Charlie had given him, Mark talked through everything Bella had said to them. Three times, Jacob tried in interrupt, and each time Billy had silenced him. Billy appeared amused by the story, but his eye held fear. It was all Mark needed as a confirmation. Well, that and Jacob's sheet-white face, and shaking figure.

"What do you want me to say?" Billy asked when Mark had finished.

"I don't know," Mark confessed, "The truth, perhaps?"

"Well we all know that Bella can be a little dramatic, don't we? Sure, I've slapped her a few times, but so does every parent. And Jacob may have kissed her once or twice, but it was only a game. Obviously, Bella decided to make it out big and scary."

"Her injuries say otherwise, Mr. Black. And why would she say those things if they weren't true?"

"Now listen her, you jumped-up piece of s-" Jacob began, getting in Mark's face, but Billy interrupted him.

"Jacob!" he barked, then turned back to Mark, "Very well. Take Bella out of my care. Her pathetic claims won't hold up in court, mark my words."

"Oh believe me Mr. Black, unless you come up with something extremely clever, they will," Mark said coldly.

Billy smirked at Mark.

"I must take her laptop and clothes back to where she's staying," Mark said, standing up, "Show me to her room please?"

"This way," Jacob spat, "Where is she staying? Ungrateful bitch," he muttered.

"Things like that count against you, Jacob," Mark said, "As for where she's staying, that's confidential," he lied. He didn't think that the Blacks knowing where Bella was would be a good idea. He was right.

"In there," Jacob said.

Mark walked into Bella's room, camera in hand. A small, dirty mattress sat in the middle of the room, covered by a dull, grey sheet. The room looked like it had never been cleaned. The window was sealed shut, and let a minimal amount of light through. Mark was disgusted by the place. He folded up Bella's clothes and put them into a bag he found in the corner of the room. He slipped in her laptop too.

"Thank you so much for your time Mr. Black," Mark said, his voice neutral. Professional, he reminded himself. However vile the people were, he had to be professional.

"It was not our pleasure," Billy said, his voice cold.

"Get out," Jacob hissed.

Nodding in silent farewell, Mark turned away from the despicable people and left, climbing back into his car. He felt incredibly sorry for Bella Swan, having to spend most of her childhood with people as awful as that. He felt anger well up inside him, and he was glad that he was away from the house. Else he'd probably have hit someone.


	21. Chapter 20-Red-Heads at Christmas

Over the rest of the week at school, which passed with very little drama, for once, I had a wonderful, tingly feel inside me. I was going on a date with Edward Cullen. I couldn't get the words out of my head, and they floated round and round and round at the most frustrating of times. His beautiful emerald eyes seemed to be forever etched into my mind, and Angela swore I never stopped smiling.

After Edward had asked me out and arranged to take me somewhere on Saturday - he wouldn't say where - Alice had cornered me. She'd basically laughed, and said 'I told you so' several times. Alice seemed nearly as excited for my date than I was. It was not, I repeat not, possible to be more excited about the upcoming date than I was. I was freaking ecstatic.

I glanced up at the clock again during our last biology lesson before the Christmas break. I chewed the inside of my mouth as I tried to focus on what we were meant to be doing, but I found my eyes wandering to the bronze-haired God sitting next to me. Every now and then, Edward would run his hand through his already tousled hair in sheer frustration, and my fingers would itch to knock his aside and take their place.

Edward caught me staring at him, and shot me a panty-dropping grin. I blushed and looked down, then looked back up at him from under my lashes. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. Edward hadn't looked away from me, and our eyes met for a moment, before the bell rang suddenly, snapping us both from our trance. I wondered, fleetingly, whether Edward could feel half of what I felt for him. If he did, my life would be complete.

Dr. Schmitz wished us a good Christmas and new year, and we left the classroom. Edward shut his books and threw them into his bag, before following me out. I felt him slip his hand into mine, and I looked up at him. I was sure that I was blushing, and I could feel the heat covering my cheeks.

"I love it when you do that," Edward said, smiling again.

"Do what?" I asked, once again captured by his eyes.

"Blush."

I blushed even deeper, and I heard Edward chuckle. Alice bounded up to us as we neared the gym, and Edward bid us goodbye. I watched him walk away, running a hand through his hair again. Oh how I wanted to do that. Perhaps I'd get my chance, eventually. Alice smirked at me, and dragged me into the gym.

"So Bella," Alice began, her smirk growing.

"So Bella what?"

"Rose told me something yesterday. You've failed to tell me."

"What's that?" I asked, barely containing the roll of my eyes.

"You love my brother."

I turned to look her dead in the eye.

"Very much so. I'm unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Edward Cullen."

Alice squealed, and threw her arms around me as we entered the gym, and I laughed. I felt more free than I had in years, despite the trial that would be held eventually, and it was all because of the Cullens. Sure, being out of that pit of hell had been amazing, and not having to hide had been a relief, but actually having friends and people I could practically call a family to support me was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Ever.

We headed into the gym, and Tanya shot me a dirty look. She seemed to be under the impression that it was my fault she'd lost her hold on the students of Forks High, but to be honest, I wasn't really worried about Tanya. As Rose had once said, Tanya was all talk. I threw her a slight smile, and she grew red in the face, but said nothing.

The lesson passed quickly enough, though I found myself feeling slightly sick after running around for all that time. I showered quickly but carefully and changed back into my ordinary clothes. Edward was waiting for me outside of the gym, and Jasper was standing next to him. Alice walked over to Jasper, smiling widely, and I headed over to Edward.

Giving me no warning, Edward wrapped his arms around me and picked me up, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. I grinned at him, and he returned it. Grasping my hand again, he lead me towards his silver Volvo. Lauren was standing near it, and I watched her warily. I could feel a headache beginning to form, and it was driving me nuts.

"So are you two official now?" Lauren spat.

"We're going on a date this weekend, not that it's any of your business," Edward replied, his tone cold.

"It's high school. It's everyone's business," Lauren said, sneering a bit. My head began to hurt further, and I wanted to snap at her. I tended to get cranky and irritated when I felt bad. It was something I really needed to work on, but Lauren wasn't helping me. Not at all.

Ignoring her rather childish behaviour, Edward unlocked his car and opened my door for me. Thanking him, I climbed into the car and watched him follow suit, before he keyed the engine and drove from the busy parking lot. We talked quietly for a few minutes, before my headache made me wince. My head was throbbing in several different places. It didn't go unnoticed by Edward.

"Are you ok?" he asked, looking to me anxiously.

"Fine," I murmured, closing my eyes and leaning my head back. If only the throbbing would stop...

"Bella?" Edward called, sounding worried.

"I'm ok," I muttered. Blackness was starting to engulf me, and with it, numbness. My headache was starting to cease, but I could still hear Edward calling my name. I heard him mumble a few profanities before my mind totally shut off, and I fell into a welcome, blissful slumber.

***

"Bella?" called a calm, clear voice. I felt cool fingers press against the inside of my wrist, and the coolness felt good against my clammy skin. Who was it? I couldn't really think of much. I was aware of a gradually growing pain in my head, and of quiet voices in the background.

I felt something cold, damp, and slightly rough sweep across my forehead, and small fingers flicked some hair away from my face. Again, the cold flannel - for that was what I assumed it was - felt amazingly good against my hot skin, and I felt myself rejoice every time it was stroked over my skin.

"Wake up for me sweet girl, please," begged a soft, velvety voice. One word immediately jumped to mind. Home. The voice was home. "Open your eyes Bella, come on," the voice said, and I felt somebody take my hand. I assumed that it was the 'home' person that was holding my hand.

"She'll wake up in a moment," said a higher, more feminine voice quietly. I tried to locate my eyes, so that I could look at the 'home' person. I felt, stupidly, like it would all be better if I saw them. I couldn't for the life of me think who it was. Who did I know? Finally, I found my eyelids, and I tried to peel them back. They felt heavy. They fluttered for a second, and the voices ceased. I tried again, and I managed to inch them open, slowly.

The first thing I saw was a pair of bright green eyes. I knew that they belonged to the 'home' voice. They moved away slightly, and I took in the man's full face. Edward.

"Bella," he breathed, squeezing my hand gently.

I smiled slightly at him, and my gaze travelled to the worried faces of the other Cullens. Carlisle was standing beside me, two fingers back on the inside of my wrist. Presumably, he was taking my pulse. Alice was just beside my head, a wet, navy flannel clutched in her right hand. Jasper, Emmett and Rose stood a little way away, all watching me with slight concern, and Esme sat in a plush armchair in the corner, smiling at me. Worry was, however, present in her motherly eyes.

"How do you feel Bella?" Carlisle asked, pulling my gaze back to him.

"Sick," I admitted, "And my head hurts."

"Is it throbbing?"

I nodded, and immediately felt slightly dizzy. I closed my eyes again, just to calm down my senses, and then pulled them open. Carlisle was nodding gently, and his hand rested across my forehead, which had heated up since Alice stopped her gentle, cooling swipes. I took a deep breath, and felt myself trembling slightly.

"I believe that this is a result of your years of abuse," Carlisle said, his voice kindly, "And I'm afraid that it may reoccur. I'll give you some painkillers, and you have a temperature, so keep yourself warm. There's little else I can do. Keep hydrated too."

"Thank you," I said, not wanting to nod again. I realised that I'd fallen into... unconsciousness... while in Edward's Volvo. I was now in the living room on the Cullen house, resting on a long, leather couch. As though she knew what was going through my mind (which, perhaps, she did) Alice answered my unasked question.

"Edward carried you in."

I squeezed Edward's hand in thanks, and he smiled at me. There was a moment of quiet in the room, before Esme asked me if I'd like something to drink. I answered with the affirmative, and she came back a few minutes later with a mug of hot chocolate. I smiled widely at her, letting her know my appreciation, and pushed myself up carefully so I was leaning against the arm of the sofa.

I sipped the hot liquid slowly and listened to the quiet chatter around me. It was comforting, in a way, even more so with Edward's hand wrapped around mine all the time. After half an hour or so, I'd finished my hot chocolate and began to feel exceedingly tired. I glanced at the clock, and saw that it hadn't even gone half past six.

Edward noticed my look, and picked up on what I was thinking.

"Do you want me to carry you upstairs?" he asked, his voice soft and caring. I loved him so much it hurt.

"If you don't mind," I answered, feeling shy. I felt a light blush cover my cheeks, and Edward stroked down my left, his touch gentle and soothing. He was making me feel very calm, and even more sleepy.

Ever-so-carefully, Edward slipped an arm around my shoulders, then one under my knees, and lifted me up into his arms. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck. The Cullens bid me goodnight, and Carlisle told me to wake him if I felt worse, or indeed just needed reassurance. Esme said the same.

"Do you need me to help you change?" Alice asked.

"I think I'll be ok," I said quietly.

"See you in the morning Bella," Alice said, kissing my cheek lightly.

I bid her goodnight, and allowed Edward to carry me up the stairs to his bedroom. Just his slight movements as he ascended them made me feel queasy, and I buried my head in his chest to stop myself feeling worse. A moment later, I felt myself being laid down on the bed, so I opened my eyes.

"I'll let you change," Edward said, "I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Ok."

Edward walked out of the room and shut the door, and I picked up the tank-top and shorts Alice had bought me on Tuesday night as a 'surprise'. I was grateful. Trying not to move much, I pulled off my shirt and unclasped my bra, before slipping the tank-top over my head. I lay back to tug off my jeans, but was overcome by a wave of dizziness. I lay still, hoping it would pass, but when I tried to take my jeans off again, I felt dizzy again.

It was strange, really. According to Carlisle, it was to be expected that I would feel... like I was... while I healed from all I'd been subjected to over the past years, but why wouldn't I have had these waves of nausea and dizziness while I was going through it all? Apparently though, that's just what bodies did. Hell, human beings were incredibly strange...

"Edward," I called out, softly. The door opened, and Edward peered round.

"You ok?"

"I... Um... That is-"

"Do you need some help with your jeans?" Edward asked.

Blushing twelve shades of scarlet, I nodded. Edward smiled slightly and walked over to me. He knelt down in front of the bed, and glanced down to my unzipped jeans. Not touching my skin, he hooked his thumbs over the edge of the stiff material and locked his eyes with mine. Slowly, taking care of the bruises and cuts he knew adorned my pale skin, Edward slid my jeans down my legs. I wasn't entirely sure why he was bothering to be so, well, gentlemanly about it - he'd seen me in a bikini.

Edward snatched up the shorts laying beside me, and handed them to me. Feeling - pointlessly, of course - a little self-conscious, I slipped them up my legs, and lifted my hips up to pull them all the way up. Edward and I talked quietly for a moment about nothing of much consequence, carefully avoiding the topic of the Blacks. As we chatted, I noticed the pounding in my head begin to diminish, and my dizziness subsided. I yawned slightly, causing Edward to laugh.

"Lets get you to bed," Edward said, smiling a little. I crawled back up to the top of the bed - Edward's bed, I might add. Despite the numerous guest rooms in the Cullen house, Esme and Edward had both wanted me to stay in Edward's room. I wasn't complaining - and settled myself under the warm duvet required in Forks.

Telling me he'd be back in a moment, Edward disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me comfortably in his enormous bed. Not two minutes later, he reappeared, having donned his customary pair of thin sweat-pants, and walked back over to the bed, throwing his jeans and shirt into the wash-basket hidden in the corner of his room. I was mildly surprised that Edward was going to bed as well, owing to it being so early in the evening.

He clicked off the main lights as he came to his side of the bed, leaving us basking in the dim glow of the moon through the large windows. Edward drew the heavy curtains across the window, and then climbed into his bed. As I had since the very first night I spent in Edward's gloriously soft bed, I snuggled into his chest and found comfort in the arm that he lay across me.

Angela and I had discussed Edward asking me out on a date (which, I reminded myself happily, was meant to be taking place the following day) a lot over the last few days of the semester. Angela had told me that it was obvious he cared for me, and I'd told her that I was still utterly in love with the guy. I'd gone on to mention that whenever I was in Edward's presence, he made me forget all the pain and suffering I'd experienced. That has earned me a few squeals.

I smiled slightly against Edward's chest at the memory, and I felt him kiss the top of my head gently. My heart did a flip, I swear. Whenever the man touched me, I felt like I was on fire, especially when his lips were involved. Hell, I didn't even want to think about what a kiss to my lips would do to me.

With that thought, I fell asleep.

***

Unfortunately, my good mood was ruined the following morning.

I awoke to a beautifully dishevelled Edward, who looked ridiculously tired. Not wanting to wake him from his peaceful slumber, I'd retreated to Alice's bedroom to get dressed. There was no doubt in my mind that she'd be awake. I was right, of course. The little pixie seemed to be awake at the crack of dawn all the time.

Having dressed and showered, I headed downstairs to consume another one of Esme's delectable breakfasts. It was an incredible relief not to have to go to school, and to have two weeks of freedom ahead of me. Carlisle gave me a brief check-up, and told me I was doing well.

Jasper both noticed and commented on my good mood, and Alice informed him that it was because of my upcoming date. However, my friend seemed slightly sad as she spoke of it, and I had no idea why. Well, not until an hour later.

Edward walked down, looking all kinds of sinful in his jeans and shirt, and let lose a large yawn. The mood in the kitchen was upbeat for a few minutes, until there was a knock at the door. Esme opened it to reveal Charlie Masen, who was looking a little tired, but pleased nonetheless.

We sat down in the living room, and I found myself seated firmly between Alice and Rose. I wasn't all that happy about our seating arrangements, but I kept my mouth shut. I had a feeling that it wasn't the time to start fussing about staying as close as possible to Edward.

Charlie told us that there had been a few problems about getting the Blacks brought to trial because they lived on the Reservation, but apparently Mark and he had made quick work of those. He then said that a trial had been scheduled for the following March, not long before our spring break.

"Neither of them have a chance, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if Billy pleads guilty. I've no idea what he'd say in his defence, and none of it would help his case," Charlie said, his voice grim with satisfaction. I had to admit, the news was welcome. Billy could be one less obstacle I'd have to battle my way through. Charlie continued, "Unfortunately we have to go through all sorts of legal documents. We'll need Bella and Carlisle down at the station for a few hours to get those sorted. Sorry about this."

This news was not welcome. Edward and I shared an irritated look. There was no way we would be able to do whatever it was Edward had planned for our date in a couple of hours. I sighed slightly, and Alice wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Apparently, she too had picked up on what this would mean.

"He'll take you tomorrow," she whispered.

***

Two hours later, Carlisle was quizzing me about my medical history. There wasn't much to tell him, as Billy had never taken me to the hospital. He asked me about broken bones, and I told him I'd broken nearly every bone in my body at some point, both from being a klutz and from Billy and Jacob. Edward, who had come with us, winced as I said this. Once again, I wished I could read what was going through Edward's mind. I hadn't a clue about what his feelings were for me.

Charlie looked up from whatever he was filling in.

"You can go home once you've done that," he said, "I'm sorry for taking up your day."

I shook my head shyly.

"You're doing it for me. Don't apologise."

Charlie smiled, and Carlisle laid down the paper on his desk. We bid each other goodbye, and Edward took my hand, twining his fingers through mine. I felt a light blush creep up my cheeks, and Edward laughed quietly. We climbed into the back of Carlisle's Mercedes, our hands still joined. Our gazes locked, and Edward reached up a hand to brush a strand of hair away from my face. I blushed a little deeper, and Edward smiled, stroking one finger down my cheek. Goosebumps erupted across my skin, and I shivered slightly.

"Such a pretty blush," Edward murmured, which, of course, only made me blush deeper. "I'll take you out tomorrow, ok?"

I nodded, just as Carlisle pulled into the Cullen driveway. The sight before me caused my body to freeze over, and a slight shudder ran through me. Edward glanced at me, concerned, and opened my door for me. He offered me his hand, and I took it gratefully, still shooting the three people assembled next to the unfamiliar car nervous glances. Edward pulled me into his side.

"Mom is friends with them, they won't be here long," he said into my ear. I nodded, but I still felt apprehensive about what was to come.

Because, before me, stood a familiar red-head and her parents.

***

**A/N**

**Sorry for the long wait on updating, I've had a lot of trouble with this chapter. As it is, it's not what I'd like it to be, but after some serious editing it's a good as it's going to get. I hope you liked it, regardless of the shortness and lower standard!**

**Lucy xX**


	22. Chapter 21-An Answer at Last

Recap:

_I nodded, just as Carlisle pulled into the Cullen driveway. The sight before me caused my body to freeze over, and a slight shudder ran through me. Edward glanced at me, concerned, and opened my door for me. He offered me his hand, and I took it gratefully, still shooting the three people assembled next to the unfamiliar car nervous glances. Edward pulled me into his side._

_"Mom is friends with them, they won't be here long," he said into my ear. I nodded, but I still felt apprehensive about what was to come._

_Because, before me, stood a familiar red-head and her parents._

***

Trying to ignore Victoria and the two adults who were obviously her parents, I followed Edward into the house. Esme passed us and headed onto the porch, presumably to meet her 'friends'. I really, truly couldn't see how somebody as nice as Esme could tolerate people like the Hunters. Then again, I'd never met Victoria's parents. Perhaps they weren't so bad.

Edward lead me up the stairs to the den in silence, and I was worried about whatever was going on in his mind. His face hardened as we walked further, and he said nothing as we sat down on the beanbag. Once again, Edward pulled me between his legs so that I was resting against his chest, but nothing was said.

The other couples in the room had also fallen into silence, and were glancing at us with some concern. Eventually, Rose broke the silence.

"What's going on?"

"Victoria and her parents are outside," Edward said, his voice cold.

"We can stay away from them. Victoria will be on her best behaviour for Mom," Emmett said, serious for once. Edward and Alice exchanged a glance, and it was a glance that sent shivers down my spine. Neither Edward nor Alice was convinced that it would be that easy. I just hoped nothing much would happen.

"Bella, I need to talk to you. Now," Alice said, pulling herself away from Jasper's arms and gliding out of the room. Looking back at Edward, I too stood up and followed Alice out of the room. Edward's expression softened as his eyes met mine, but he still looked wary. Of what, I had no idea.

Sighing a little to myself, I spotted Alice ascending the stairs that lead to her bedroom. I sped up and followed her up, wanting to be back in Edward's arms. My attachment to Edward was clear to myself, but my reasoning behind it was not. I knew only that I felt calmer and safer in his presence.

I pushed open the door to Alice's room, wondering what Alice had wanted to talk to me about. Alice was pacing in front of her large window, which took up the majority of one wall - much like Edward's room. She was running a hand through her cropped, raven hair, in the same way Edward did, her brow furrowed.

"Alice?" I said, slightly timidly.

She looked up, and stopped her pacing. She motioned for me to sit down, so I lowered myself onto the floor. After a moments deliberation, Alice followed suit and crossed her legs, facing me. She bit her lower lip slightly, and watched my face intently. I had the uncomfortable sensation of being x-rayed.

"Bella, I-" she sighed, then continued, "This isn't going to be easy. I need you to remain open-minded, and please don't class me as a weirdo. Ok?"

Frowning, I nodded.

"I'm sure you've noticed that I can be a little... strange. Beyond my love of shopping. Well, it's because I can- I can see things."

"What?"

She could see things? Presumably she meant more than objects and people in front of her. But see what, exactly?

"I'm sensitive to how people's decisions can affect their futures. Sometimes it's sort of played out in my mind. I can become extremely wrapped up in my thoughts. Edward says it 'disconcerting'," she said, watching me again, this time with an anxious expression.

Ok, so Alice could, basically, see the future. To my surprise, I was really not freaked out by that piece of information. I'd already realised that Alice was beyond your ordinary weird, and I'd guessed that there was something unusual going on. So, sitting in front of me, was a real-life fortune-teller.

Alice was still watching me with a worried expression, and I realised I hadn't said anything.

"That's a lot less weird than it could have been," I said.

Alice laughed a little.

"Who knows about your... talent?"

"Just friends and family. Tanya doesn't, Angela and Ben don't, Kate and Irina do," she said.

"Right."

"Bella, there's a reason I'm telling you all this. I don't know what, but I have a really bad feeling about Victoria. I'm worried about her. Please, whatever you do, don't go anywhere with her alone. It's the same feeling I had on the Saturday after Edward dropped you off from the game, and then it turned out that you were practically being killed. Please Bella, just stay with somebody."

I nodded.

"I will, thank you Alice."

Alice wrapped me in a hug, and we sat there for a moment. So Victoria was up to something. I had been right to be wary when I'd first seen her on the Cullens' porch, and Edward's strange turn was explained. After another minute or so, Alice released me and smiled. I smiled back.

"Get back to your guy. I'll be down in a moment."

I rolled my eyes at Alice.

"He's not my guy Alice."

"Not yet, but he will be, very soon. Trust me on that."

Laughing a little, I shook my head at my friend and backed out of the door. The sounds of voices travelled up to meet my ears, and I listened to the pleasantly polite chatter coming from the four adults below. I didn't catch Victoria's voice. Perhaps she was sulking, and wanted to behave like a moody teenager. That suited me just fine.

Feeling a little happier, I strode back into the den. Some historical horror movie was playing on the TV, and booms came from all around the room, courtesy of the incredible surround-sound system that was installed. I suspected that the choice in movie came from a compromise between Emmett and Jasper. Horror for the former, history for the latter.

I walked in just as Jasper pointed out some historical inaccuracy, which caused Rose to snicker. Edward smiled at the pair, but he looked a little tense. He looked up when I walked fully into the room, and his expression eased a little. I closed the few paces between us, and Edward pulled me down to him.

"I was worried that Victoria had cornered you," he murmured, just as an argument broke out on the screen. No doubt it would end in gunfire.

"Alice cornered me," I corrected him with a grin, "And told me all about her talent."

"I take it you aren't about to freak out?"

I shrugged.

"I knew Alice was weird, and I knew that she knew things she shouldn't have known. She didn't look as surprised as the rest of you when Emmett kindly showered me."

Edward laughed a little, just as I heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire on the TV. Apparently, I was right.

"What did Alice 'see'?"

"She had a bad feeling about Victoria," I said, "I promised her I'd stay with somebody else. Apparently Alice thinks that she's up to something."

Edward frowned and hugged me against his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I curled myself into him, resting my head in the crook of is neck, and turned my attention to the loud, bloody fight on the TV. Jasper was still muttering about incorrect details, but Emmett looked in his element as he watched the blood spurt out over the floor. Oh well. At least he hadn't made us watch a zombie movie.

I'd seen several zombie movies, as they were Jacob's favourite genre of film, and hated every one. Honestly. They were all the same! Zombies invade planet Earth and try to eat the brains of all humans left. A small group of humans are surviving in the remote corner of America, and they defeat all the millions and millions of zombies by some miracle. Yeah. So original.

Eventually, the dreadful film finished, and I let out a sigh of relief. I turned to Emmett, whom I assumed had picked out the DVD.

"That was terrible."

"I agree entirely," Alice said from her position in Jasper's lap, "Let's watch something else. No horror."

"Like what?" Emmett asked, folding his arms over his burly chest. He really was an over-grown kid.

"A romance," Rose said, winking at me, "With no blood, no gore, no guts, and lots and lots of cheesy lines."

Emmett turned to his smirking girlfriend, looking absolutely horrified. I snorted at his expression, and muffled my laughter by burying my face in Edward's chest. I heard Alice giggle, and a laugh from Rose, so I lifted my head and threw it back, laughing hard. Emmett looked a little upset at our reaction.

"Really, those kinds of fi-"

"Oh shut up," Rose said, still laughing, "I was joking. I don't like those films any more than you. Alice, put something on."

"How about that vampire movie? Fighting for the guys, and romance for us?"

We agreed on the movie, and sat back to watch. I had to admit, the movie was terrible, and I could hear snorts of disbelief coming from Edward. The only thing that I enjoyed was the leading guy, the vampire. He had a serious case of sex-hair going on (a phrase I'd learnt from Alice about a week beforehand) and was just... hot. It didn't hurt that he looked more than a bit like Edward.

I rolled my eyes when the vampire sparkled in the sun, and sniggered when the leading female called him 'beautiful'. Seriously? Who calls a guy beautiful? If I were a guy, I'd be offended by the comment. The film only got more ridiculous as it continued, adding in a few werewolf's that weren't really, and a demon baby that nearly killed the leading female.

Emo vampires with cheesy lines, terrible actresses playing the leading female, a couple of werewolves and you've got a recipe for a rubbish film. It kept us entertained though, merely as we were able to laugh at the ridiculous bits. The only person who didn't seem to think it was terrible was Alice.

"That was awful too," Jasper said, sighing.

"No it wasn't!" Alice argued.

"Seriously Alice? The main vampire is totally emo, and he sparkles," Emmett said, shuddering. I sniggered.

"Not to mention, the carpet has more expression than the leading female," Rose added.

"Ok, I can't fault you, but it wasn't that bad," Alice said.

"I confess, it was hilarious," I said, "Though not intentionally."

"And the vampire dude was hot," Rose said, grinning.

Edward snorted.

"Uh uh Cullen," Rose said, hearing Edward, "You look alike, actually."

"What?" Edward cried.

"You both have a desperate case of sex-hair," I said, grinning.

"Ok, I look like an emo vampire. Can we watch something ordinary now? Lord of the Rings?" Edward suggested. Once again, we agreed on the film, and Edward slipped in the first one. We sat back to watch, and I found myself getting into it. The film wasn't all that bad - certainly not like the last two.

About halfway through the film, I needed to use the bathroom, so I unwrapped myself from Edward's embrace. I told him where I was going, after he'd asked, and disappeared from the room, going behind the couch so I didn't interrupt the eager watchers.

I can out of the bathroom a moment later, and ran smack-bang into the person I'd been hoping to avoid. Victoria.

"Swan," she sneered, "How are you?"

"Fine," I said cooly, trying to step around her.

"So you and Edward, are you official?"

"We're going on a date tomorrow," I said quietly, trying not to show my anger. I clearly wasn't escaping this conversation.

Victoria snorted at me.

"Really? How nice," she said - clearly she knew something.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What?"

"You actually think somebody like Edward would go out with somebody like you? You're a freak Swan, and Edward is popular without trying. People like Edward marry people like Tanya, and people like me."

My blood ran cold at her words. She was right. I'd known when he asked me out that it was too good to be true. Hell, I'd had to check that it was actually reality. There was no way Edward would ever be mine, no matter how fleetingly. The intimacy had been amazing, but clearly it meant nothing more than friendship, and perhaps feelings like those he felt for Alice and Rose.

"If Edward has asked you on a date, it's probably to make you feel better. You know I'm right. Edward would never, and could never love somebody like you. Now," she said, flicking her hair over her shoulder, "I don't believe that you're any form of threat to me, but I'll have you know that I'm out to snag Edward. I've been planning it for years. I befriended Tanya, so that I could help break the two up, and now I'm going to get my prize."

Well, it seemed I had an answer as to why Victoria was friendly with Tanya...

"Go on your little date, but be prepared to be ditched. It'll be me on Edward's arm soon," she sneered.

Without another word, Victoria turned on her heel and flounced down the stairs. My heart was thudding in my chest. Everything Victoria had said would be true. Why would Edward go out with me? Plain, boring Bella Swan? My heart plummetted, and I felt exceedingly sad.

Then, the sadness was promptly replaced with anger. How dare Edward lead me on like he had? How dare he? Suddenly furious, I ran down the stair, following Victoria, and spotted Carlisle, Esme and the Hunters assembled in the kitchen. Esme smiled at me, and called out my name, but I was too angry to pay attention to her.

I told them I was going for a walk, and that I had my mobile, and then I flung open the front door, and raced away from the house, slamming the for behind me. It didn't take long for the tears to well up in my eyes, and eventually spill over. The moisture blinded me, and I had no idea of where I was going.

An hour or two later, I was on a random road I didn't know the name of, and sobbing my heart out. I realised that I'd probably been stupid. Victoria had played on my weaknesses, and she'd played on them well. Why would Edward have done all he had if he didn't want to? I knew I needed to go back to the place I called home, but I couldn't. For several reasons.

Firstly, I had absolutely no idea of where I was. I didn't know Forks that well, despite it being small, and I had no idea which direction the Cullens' home was in. Secondly, I couldn't go back with the chance of running into Victoria. It would destroy me, and so would she. Thirdly, I couldn't go and face the Cullens yet. They'd been nothing but nice to me, and I'd walked out on them because of one fucking conversation with fucking Victoria.

Bitch.

I sat on the side of the road for a few minutes, before a car roared passed me, and pulled over about ten feet ahead of me. A woman climbed out of the car, and shook her curly hair over her shoulder. She smiled at me. I recognised her as Renee Masen, the wife of Charlie.

"Bella? What're you doing out here?" she asked.

That only caused me to sob again.

"Hey, calm down honey," she said, walking over to me.

She wrapped her arms around me in a motherly embrace, and allowed me to cry onto her shoulder. I had to admit, it felt nice to have a mother again. I could see how Renee and Esme got on so well, both having hears of gold, it seemed. I remembered a little of Renee Masen from my childhood, before my parents had died.

"Come on. I'll take you back to our house, and we can phone Carlisle from there to let him know where you are, ok? That sound good?"

I nodded, and thanked her.

"No problem Bella. I can't see Carmen's daughter crying so much and do nothing. Let's get in the car and we can talk some more. It's going to rain, I can tell," she said, glancing at the grey sky. The sky in Forks was always grey.

I climbed into Renee's car and realised that I was freezing. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered a little as Renee turned the heating up. We drive in silence for a few minutes, and then Renee broke it, asking me if I was warm enough. After replying with the affirmative, Renee got down to business, and asked me why I was so upset and so far from the Cullens' house.

Feeling ashamed, I told Renee the whole story. I started from my first day at Forks High, when Tanya had begun her threats, and I'd first met Edward. I explained how my feelings had developed as he became single again, and after. I explained how Edward had cared for me since the truth about the Blacks had been revealed, and about my hopes about his feelings, and my insecurities.

I told Renee about Edward asking me out on a date, and how I'd thought it was too good to be true. Eventually, after a little gulping, I told her about the conversation I'd had with Victoria, and how, to my angered mind, everything shed said had made sense. I mentioned my sudden anger towards Edward, and how I'd stormed out of the house and got lost. I then related my recent thoughts about what Victoria said, and told Renee that I believed I'd been played by Victoria.

I had to admit, Renee was a good listener, and I felt lighter, having told somebody everything. I hadn't realised that we'd pulled up in Renee's driveway by the time I'd finished my story. Renee looked at me carefully, and seemed to think hard about what she was going to say.

"I think you're right," she said, "I've known Edward Cullen since he moved here four years ago, and I've never heard about him doing something of of pity. He's not that kind of person. Victoria, however, is a slippery girl. It's probable that what she told you was untrue. I've no doubt that Edward asked you out on a date because he wanted to. I understand why you became upset and angry, though there were, admittedly, better ways to deal with it. Let's go inside, and then we'll talk some more," Renee said, hoping out of the car just as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Renee opened the front door and ushered me in, before bustling into the kitchen. She offered me a cup of tea, which I excepted, and then we sat down, hot drinks in hand. Seated on her comfortable sofa, we talked about my insecurities and my feelings, about Edward, about Victoria, and about how to deal with the kind of situation I'd just been put in.

It was about half an hour later that we were interrupted by the ringing of my mobile. I fished it from my pocket, and felt my breathing quicken when I saw the caller ID. It was Edward. I knew I wouldn't be able to talk to him without crying again, or shouting, or something similar, and I wasn't ready to talk.

Renee seemed to sense my worry, as she held out her hand for the phone. Relaxing slightly, I handed the phone over to her. She hit the 'answer' button, and held it to her ear. I was incredibly grateful that I didn't have to sort out the mess I'd put myself in yet, and that I could talk some more and ponder my feelings a little first.

"Hello Edward. It's Renee Masen here." There was a pause. "Yes, Bella is with me. Could I talk to your father please?" There was another pause. "Hi Carlisle," Renee said, before briefly explaining that she'd picked me up by the side of the road, and driven me back to her house. She then offered to keep me overnight. The suggestion was met with mixed feelings from myself, but I knew I needed some time to gather my thoughts. "I'll drop her off tomorrow. Bye Carlisle."

Renee handed me my phone, and told me I could sleep in the guest bedroom upstairs, and that I could borrow something of hers to sleep in. I smiled and nodded shyly.

***

Three hours and lots of talking later, I was finishing an interesting meal from Renee. Her cooking didn't meet Esme's standard, but it wasn't terrible. Emmett had told me that Renee liked to experiment, and had given them some strange, spicy casserole the day the first moved to Forks. I'd been expecting something horrible, but the stew wasn't so bad.

Charlie had returned home about an hour before, and Renee had explained why I was there. Obviously, she left out a lot of the details. At about half nine, I told Renee and Charlie that I'd go to bed, and Renee showed me up to my room.

"Goodnight Bella," Charlie said, smiling, "You're welcome here whenever you like. I probably won't see you in the morning, but if you need us to phone Carlisle for medical reasons, just shout."

His little speech left me a bit emotional.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Come on Bella," Renee said, motioning me upstairs. I had to admit, the Masens felt familiar to me. Apparently, my young mind had remembered more about them than I'd thought. There was no way I could feel so at home in a strange house. The house wasn't strange to me, and neither were the inhabitants.

Having changed, brushed my teeth and washed my face, I clambered into the bed. The guest-room was very neutral in colour, but it was comfortable. Renee smiled from the doorway.

"Goodnight Bella," she said, kissing my forehead like a mother would her child.

I didn't even hear the door click shut as I drifted off into a peaceful slumber.


	23. Chapter 22-Home

Edward's POV

I was beginning to worry about Bella. She'd been gone for quite a long time, and she'd only been going to the bathroom. Alice had been worried about Victoria, and I immediately cursed myself for not walking with her. Although Bella being Bella probably wouldn't have liked that.

Just as I decided to go and look for her - only to make sure she was ok - I heard someone running down the stairs. I heard Bella shout something from the ground floor of the house, and then I heard the door slam. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I could have sworn I could feel the house vibrate. There was silence in the house, save for the murmurings on the TV.

I threw Alice a glance, but she wasn't looking at me. I'd hoped to learn why Bella had stormed out of the house, but Alice's expression was shuttered. Talk about irritating... Sighing quietly, I stood up and strode out of the room, heading downstairs. A feeling of dread filled me, and it settled low on the pit of my stomach. Victoria had upset Bella. It was the only explanation.

But why would she have run away? Anybody in the house would have been more than happy to comfort her, to listen to her scream, if she'd needed to. Hell, I'd have done anything to make her feel better. Maybe, a snide voice in the back of my head said, she didn't want to talk to you. Maybe she doesn't like you enough.

I pushed the thoughts away instantly. They'd been plaguing my mind ever since Bella had said shed go on a date with me. I hadn't meant to ask her then - I'd been planning on waiting until all the shit was over and done with. After all, she'd only been away from Jacob for a few days. But I'd started to blurt it out, and then stopped myself. Of course, Bella had prompted me to continue, and before I knew what I was doing, I'd asked her. I couldn't believe it when she accepted.

I still didn't know if she returned any of the feelings I had for her. I hoped she did, but there was no reason for her to. Yes, I'd cared for her since she'd revealed her secret, but could her feelings ever run deeper than a friendship? If I couldn't have Bella as my lover, I'd take her as my friend or my sister in a heartbeat.

I reached the kitchen, and it seemed that all four adults assembled had been stunned into silence, all staring at the front door. Esme had one hand over her mouth, and Carlisle looked upset and confused. The Hunters looked surprised, but Victoria... She, the bitch, looked fucking smug.

She was actually, fucking, sniggering.

I tried to quell the fury that had welled up inside me, and I glared at Victoria. It seemed that Victoria did had a hand in this strange business, and if it was the last thing I did I'd find out what. If she'd hurt Bella, the God help her. Taking a deep, calming breath that had very little effect on me, I turned to my parents.

"What happened?"

Carlisle shook his head.

"Bella stormed downstairs and told us she was going for a walk and that she has her phone on her. Then she slammed the door," he said.

"Why was Bella so angry?" I growled, turning to Victoria. I towered over her, and was glad to see a flash of fear cross her face. Unfortunately, Victoria was far more difficult to intimidate than Tanya, and my furious face didn't gain me an answer. If I had to rip her head off, I would...

"Why should I know?" Victoria asked, shrugging.

"Cut the crap," I ordered, clenching my jaw.

"Oh come off it Edward," Victoria scoffed, "Why on Earth would I waste my time upsetting Bella?" she asked, sneering Bella's name. My parents were clearly shocked at Victoria's words, but they didn't surprise me. It seemed like exactly the kind of thing Victoria would say, but I knew they weren't true. Alice had never been wrong.

"My sister thinks otherwise," I snapped.

"What the fuck does she know?"

"She heard you and Bella talking, but she couldn't hear what about," I lied.

Victoria's sneer fell, and she glared back at me. Excusing myself, I dragged Victoria into the other room to talk. That way, neither of us had to restrain the curse-words that we wanted to let fly. Hell, that way I could hit her in peace, without being reminded that I was a fucking gentleman. Fuck manners.

"What the hell did you say to Bella?" I snarled.

"The truth," Victoria replied, picking invisible dirt from her nails, "That you're only dating her out of pity, and that you'll ditch her later."

What?

Did she...?

I barely contained my loud growl of pure, black fury. Victoria ad just crossed the final line. I hadn't thought I could be my angrier when Bella told us about the Blacks, but I was wrong. What I was feeling as I stood in front of Victoria took angry to a whole new level. I was fucking pissed, and beyond.

She had blatantly lied to the girl I loved. As though I didn't want Bella with every ounce of my fucking being, mind, body and soul? As though I would ever date her out of God-damned pity, and fucking lead her on for no fucking reason? I exhaled quickly and loudly and clenched my hands into fists to prevent myself taking a swing at the bitch standing in front of me.

"That," I growled, "Is a fucking damed lie an you know it."

"Oh please Edward. As Lauren put it at the Christmas dance, Bella is a pathetic nobody with no social life. You don't like her."

"That's it. Get out of my house," I snapped.

"It's not your-"

I took Victoria's arm again and dragged her back to where our parents were talking, before opening the front door and shoving her out of it. I heard my mother's gasp from behind me, but I was too preoccupied by the filthy, lying bitch that was still smirking at me. God. Bitch.

"Edward what on Earth are you doing?" Esme asked.

"Getting rid of Victoria before she can do any more damage by lying," I hissed.

"I think it's time we ended this meeting," Carlisle said quietly to the Hunters, "We'll arrange a get-together another time."

I loved my Dad at that moment. It was such a girly thing to say, but it was definitely true. The Hunters bid my parents goodbye, and Carlisle got rid of them quickly and painlessly, dismissing Mrs. Hunter when she tried to chat to Esme again. Carlisle shut the door and turned back to me, asking what I'd meant about Victoria.

Still angry, I told my parents about what Victoria had said to me. My tale was met with a horrified intake of breath from my mother, and deadly silence from my mother. Eventually, Carlisle told me to go upstairs, tell my siblings what had happened, and phone Bella. Before I did, my mother wrapped me in a hug.

"It'll be ok my boy," she murmured in my ear.

That's when the dread overrode my anger again.

"What if Bella gets lost? What if the Blacks find her? What if she gets run over?" I could hear the panic consuming my voice as I thought about all the terrible things that could happen to Bella while she walked. I knew that if I were to walk when angry, I'd get myself lost. I hoped to hell Bella hadn't.

"If she gets lost, she has her phone with her. The Blacks won't find her, as they're under Police observation. If she gets run over, which she won't, there's a hospital around the corner," my mother said, calming me down considerably. She was right. She usually was, but in this case, she was absolutely right.

"What if she doesn't believe me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"She will," my mother said softly.

"Really?" I asked, slightly sarcastically. Esme, of course, chose to ignore it.

"Yes. Bella has been mad about you for months. If you hadn't asked her out by January, I was going to set you straight. You both care for each other a lot. There's no way that one lie from Victoria is going to change that."

"I love her," I admitted quietly, "And I hope you're right."

"I know you do. And of course I'm right," she said, her tone changing, "I'm a mother. I'm always right."

I rolled my eyes and headed back up to the den. Alice had tears shining in her eyes, and the film had been stopped. Apparently, my sister had 'seen' what had happened, and had told the rest of my siblings. The moment I entered the room, Alice stood up and wrapped her arms around me.

Of course, I loved all of my siblings, adopted and all, but Alice wasn't just my sister by blood, she was my twin. Our relationship was even closer than our relationships with the other siblings of the family, and we knew each other better than we knew ourselves. Like Alice knew that I was terrified Bella wouldn't believe me, despite my mother's perfect reasoning, and I knew that Alice was barely holding it together, due to fury and worry, fury at Victoria, and worry for Bella.

I dropped my head onto my sister's shoulder just as Alice dropped hers onto mine. I felt Alice's tears of rage seep through my shirt and dampen my skin, so I rubbed her back gently. After a moment, Alice pulled her head away from my shoulder and looked at me, an expression of fierce determination on her face.

"By God Edward, if you don't kill Victoria, I will."

"I'll be giving you a hand Alice," I said, laughing slightly.

"Phone her now," my sister instructed, "And don't freak out if it's not Bella that answers."

I nodded at my sister and took a few steps out of the room, away from the all-to-sensitive ears of the four Cullens assembled in the den. I hit Bella's number and held the phone to my ear. I listened to it ring for a few moments, before somebody answered. Renee Masen. What was she doing with Bella's phone?

We spoke for a few minutes, and Renee told me that she'd found Bella crying at the side of a road and had taken her home. She then asked to speak to Carlisle, so I ran downstairs and told him who it was. I didn't really listen to their conversation, but I did hear Renee offer to keep Bella overnight, and Carlisle's confirmation.

Carlisle handed me my phone back, and assured me that Bella was, medically, fine, and had spoken to Renee about the events of the evening. I was glad to hear that she was in physically good condition, and hadn't run into the Blacks, but I was still worried about what the morning would bring.

That night, as I settled down to sleep, I felt that something was very wrong. For a moment, I couldn't think of what it was, and then I realised that I was missing a gorgeous brunette that had taken to sleeping in my arms. I was missing the gentle thudding of her heart, the lulling of her deep, slow breaths, and the heavenly, strawberry aroma that usually encased me, all of which then enticed my body into a blissful sleep.

I wasn't going to sleep well.

I had been right. I slept like crap, and I felt like crap by the time I awoke. I ran a hand over my face wearily, having no trouble remembering the events of the previous evening. I realised that I was meant to be taking Bella out on a date, but I had a feeling that our little talk, if Bella allowed me to explain myself at all, would take up a few hours of the day. And I, for one, felt too tired and grouchy to go on a date.

Then again, I'd felt tired and grouchy every time I'd been out with Tanya. I wanted my date with Bella to be more special though.

Just as I was about to get up, there was a light knocking on my door. Yawning, I told whoever it was to come in. Alice poked her head around the door, being quiet for once. Her eyes travelled to my awakened form, and a look of deep sympathy crossed her face. She walked over to me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"You look like shit Edward," she said, moving away slightly to look at my face.

"I feel like shit," I replied.

Alice smiled at me.

"Bella will be here in about an hour. Renee just phoned," she said, "Rose said to get your ass out of bed."

I chuckled slightly.

"What's the time?"

"Just gone half nine."

"What?" I asked, sure I hadn't heard her correctly, "Half nine?"

"Yes."

Sighing deeply, I threw the duvet back and thanked my sister, and told her I'd be down in a moment. I opened the door to my bathroom and turned the shower on, making sure the water was cold. A cold shower was exactly what I needed. I pulled off my sweat-pants and stepped under the fierce water, letting it cascade over my tired, worried, aching body. I had to admit, the water turned me numb enough to ease some of the mental pain as well.

I dressed quickly, throwing on the first pair of jeans and t-shirt I could lay hands on, and rushed downstairs. I'd taken a long time in the shower, and I wasn't sure how long. I fastened my watch as I bolted into the kitchen, and thanked Esme profusely as she handed me a plate of pancakes.

I ate them at a relatively normal pace, glancing at the clock all the while. I was jigging my left leg impatiently as I finished my breakfast and washed up, and Rose called me out on it, telling me to get a grip on myself. I shot her a dirty look, which she all-too-happily returned.

"If this was Emmett, how would you feel?" I snapped.

"Emmett doesn't have self-esteem issues," Rose said, shrugging. I shook my head at her crossly.

"That isn't the point, and you know it."

"Deal with it pretty-boy. Bella left for twelve hours because Victoria was a bitch. You two are going to talk a bit, and then I'm going to lock you in a bedroom until you get a decent few hours sleep. You look like crap my dear brother," Rose said, grinning.

"Thanks," I said, sarcasm ringing in my voice, "Why would Bella want to watch me sleep for a few hours?"

"She won't, but I can guarantee you that she'll be just as tired."

"How so?"

Rose sighed, and I sensed that she was about to tell me something important.

"I always sleep like shit when Emmett and I have had an argument, and so does he. I don't exactly sleep like a baby on a normal night. My best nights' sleep are with Emmett, and his are with me. That's just how it is when you love somebody."

I thought about what Rose had said, and nodded slowly. It was true. The first time I slept with Bella in my arms, I'd slept more peacefully than I ever had, to my memory, once I'd stopped thinking about what she'd told me. I'd slept just as well every night since. Rose was right, but there was something I didn't understand.

"Ok, but that implies that Bella loves me," I said.

Rose rolled her eyes at me.

"That she does," she said, and I could hear the certainty in her voice. I wasn't convinced.

The doorbell rang at that moment, preventing us from arguing the point any further. Rose nodded at me, and left the kitchen, heading up the stairs to the den. Before she did so, she rested a hand on my shoulder and kissed the top of my head.

"Let her scream or cry or shout," she whispered.

I smiled at my sister, and saw Esme open the door. I couldn't see Bella or Renee, but I could hear the voice of the latter. Renee bid Esme goodbye, and I heard Esme greet Bella. I couldn't hear the exact words exchanged, but there didn't seem to be any shouting or crying. At least, not yet.

Feeling exceedingly nervous, I took a few steps into the hallway, and spied my angel wrapped in my mother's arms. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't see me for a minute or two while she and Esme talked very quietly. Bella's eyes travelled over Esme's shoulder, and rested on me. Many emotions flashed through her eyes, and I couldn't catch any of them. Esme left us to talk, disappearing upstairs.

For a moment, we just stood there staring at each other, taking in each others' faces. Bella looked just as bad as, if not worse than I did. She too had deep, dark bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, and her hair had been pulled into a messy bun, not brushed particularly well. Her eyelids were drooping very slightly, and her whole face looked haggard and dishevelled.

The tension in the air was thick, and I knew that we needed to break the silence and head upstairs to talk, but I had no idea what to say. Bella seemed at a loss too, and her face was blank. I had no idea what she was feeling or thinking, despite my way of being able to tell many people's true thoughts. Obviously, though, I couldn't read minds.

"Shall we go upstairs?" I asked at last, my voice slightly hoarse. Bella nodded mutely, and I waited for her to go first. She began to ascend the stairs, and then walked into my bedroom, before sitting down on my bed, which I had neglected to make and tidy up that morning.

I sat on the bed next to her, keeping a few feet of space between us, and we sat in silence again.

"Bella," I began, and exactly the same time she said 'Edward'.

"Go on," she said, her voice emotionless.

"No, you go first," I said.

"You don't have to do this," she said, not looking at me.

"Do what?"

"Take me on a date. Pretend you like me like that," she said, swallowing hard.

"Do you not want to go on a date with me?" I asked softly, surprised at how calm I sounded.

"I didn't say that," she replied, looking at her hands, "But you don't have to pretend you do."

Suddenly, I felt angry. She thought I didn't want to go on a date with her? She assumed she knew what I was thinking? She actually listened to a fucking word Victoria had said?

"I'm not pretending anything Bella. I asked you on a date because I wanted to take you, not out of pity," I said, spitting the last word. Bella looked confused.

"But Victoria said-"

"I know what Victoria said, but I wasn't true. Any of it," I sighed, cutting her off, "I would never string someone along and date somebody because I pitied them. That's not me Bella."

"It made perfect sense," Bella whispered, still avoiding my gaze. She hadn't looked me in the eye since she'd walked into the house.

"How on Earth did anything she said make sense?" I asked, completely confused.

"Why would someone like you date someone like me? You're smart, popular, you play football, and you could have any girl you wanted. I'm plain, boring, and neither popular nor sporty. People like you date people like Victoria, people like Tanya," Bella said, sneering the two names, and her voice became louder. She stood up, then continued, "You don't waste your fucking time with people like me, who so obviously aren't worth the time, the effort or the money. People like me don't get a second glance from the populars. People like me would expect a date from Mike Newton, but not you. I could never be any threat to Victoria, who, for your fucking information, wants to snag you. She's tall, slender and beautiful, and I'm average, skinny from starvation and bloody dull. I'm a pathetic nobody! There is nothing about me that you could possibly want!"

Bella's voice had risen to a shout when she mentioned Mike Newton, and she hollered the last sentence at me, throwing the nearest object at hand at me, which was the remote control for my DVD player. I caught it before it hit me, and watched, horrified, as Bella broke down in tears, sobbing into her hands as she buried her face in her them.

Unable to watch Bella cry so hard and do nothing, I stood up and pulled her into my arms. She yanked her arms away from her face and raised her hands to hit my chest, still sobbing, tears streaming down her face. For a moment, I allowed her to release some of her anger, and then I caught her wrists gently and hugged her again.

"You don't see yourself very clearly," I said, sitting us both back down on the bed, her to my left, still encircled by my arms, "You're beautiful, and you're anything but boring. I love spending time with you, and your personality is everything I look for an admire in a person. You're utterly selfless, kind, loving, funny... The list goes on. Popularity and sportiness doesn't matter to me, and it shouldn't to you. You are most certainly not a pathetic nobody. You're perfect as you are. You most definitely are worth my time, effort and money, and I would never, ever, have any wish to date Victoria over you. Victoria may be popular, and look like a model, but she leaves much to be desired as a person. Any man that has you would be the luckiest guy on the planet," I finished, my voice calm and gentle throughout.

For the first time that day, Bella's exquisite chocolate eyes rose up to my emerald ones, and I caught a glimmer of hope in them. I let a soft smile spread over my face, and, tentatively, Bella returned it, smiling up at me. Everything I'd had had been true, she was beautiful, and she was perfect. And I hoped to holy hell that I'd be that lucky guy that got her forever. Her smile fell very slightly, and I could see her mind working. She was probably remembering something else Victoria said, and I didn't want to hear it. I could have told her that, but I didn't.

"But I'm an-"

I cut her off quickly by cupping her face with my hands and pressing my lips to hers in the same second. Bella froze underneath my touch, and then I felt her kiss me back, her lips pressing back against mine. Sparks erupted through my body, and a warm, heavenly feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Fleetingly, I thought that even in our most intimate moments, I'd never felt like that with Tanya, but I pushed all thoughts except those for the girl in front of me right out of my mind.

I felt Bella place her arms lightly around my neck, and my lips curved up into a smile against hers. It was a very simple kiss, just two sets of lips pressing against each other, but it was like nothing I'd ever felt before. Kissing Bella was a whole new experience for me, and it was one I wanted more of.

Carefully, I pulled my lips away from Bella's and smiled down at her, our faces just inches apart. Bella's eyes sparkled, and she bit her lip, clearly nervous. Ever so gently, I moved my thumb down to her lips from where it still rested on her cheek, and freed her lower lip. If anybody was going to pull that between their teeth, it would be me. The errant thought put another smile on my face, and it was one that Bella returned.

"I don't want to hear any more about Victoria," I murmured, resting my forehead against Bella's, "But I do think we'd better talk about your insecurities."

"Must we?"

"I think we should."

"You still owe me a date," Bella pointed out.

"I do, but I need a decent night's sleep first. Tomorrow, I promise."

Bella sighed, then nodded at me. Carefully, I pressed my lips back against hers for a few seconds - my hands still cupping her face from when we first kissed - and drew feather-light circles on her soft skin. I pulled away from her again, feeling elated. I pulled her back into my arms, and we began to talk.

I knew I was home.

**A/N**

**That was quite a long chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it! I certainly enjoyed writing it - one of my favourites! I do love writing from Edward's perspective. We'll be back to Bella's point of view next chapter, and we'll go over their discussion and their kiss from Bella's eyes. **

**Oh yeah, and they kissed! At last! It wasn't planned, but my fingers took me away, and I realised that I wanted their first kiss there. It cemented what Edward was saying, and it reassured Bella a little. We'll see how it all goes from here.**

**Lucy xX**


	24. Chapter 23-The Heart Never Lies

**A/N**

**What do you do when you sit down to write and can't type more than 'I'? You read a chapter of tardis19's 'Design for Life' of course! I love that book! If you haven't already, check out her books - she's a genius! Anyway, I've got my crap together and am ready to give you another chapter.**

**On that note, this chapter is a little shorter than usual, for which I apologise. I'm saving their date for the next chapter. I've recapped quite a lot in Bella's point of view for this chapter, so I hope it's ok. This is more of a filler. I've said that this book will be about thirty chapters, but I think it will end up being a couple more. I depends on what our favourite couple decide!**

**Lucy xX**

***

_Some people fight, some people fall_

_Others pretend they don't care at all_

_If you wanna fight I'll stand right beside you_

_The day that you fall I'll be right behind you_

_To pick up the pieces_

_If you don't believe me_

_Just look into my eyes_

_'Cause the heart never lies_

The Heart Never Lies ~ McFly

Bella's POV

My morning with Renee hadn't been pleasant. I'd slept badly, and felt horrible by the time I awoke in the morning. I looked terrible. I had purple bruises under my eyes from lack of sleep, and my hair was a mess. I had no idea what to do with it. My face was drawn and haggard, and my eyes refused to stay open.

Needless to say, when Renee dropped me home to Esme, Esme had been horrified. I heard low voices coming from the kitchen, and wondered who they were coming from. Esme swet me up in a hug, and told me she was glad to have me back. I was glad to be back, but I was worried about what would be exchanged between myself and Edward. What if Victoria was right?

I closed my eyes as Esme hugged me, telling me that all would be ok. I revelled in the feeling of motherly comfort, and didn't move for a moment. When I opened my eyes again, I caught a flash of movement past Esme's shoulder. I looked over her, and saw Edward standing there, looking wary. He looked just as bad as I did. Perhaps he'd been awake thinking about what to say to me to let me down gently.

After kissing my cheek, Esme left Edward and I to talk. There was silence between us, and I hated it. I avoided looking at Edward's eyes, afraid of the emotions I'd see in their gentle green depths. What if I saw regret? Or hate? I didn't want to be upset further. If I didn't catch his eye, perhaps Edward could tell me the truth without ripping me completely to shreds.

After what seemed like an eternity, Edward suggested we go upstairs. I headed up to his bedroom, and seated myself on his bed. Edward sat down beside me, about three feet to my left. Despite my ever-growing worry and anger, I wanted the delicious contact we'd been sharing ever since the Christmas dance. I missed Edward's comforting touch.

After another few moments of silence, we both began talking at the same time. Edward told me to go first. Not looking at him, I dived straight into what I needed to say.

You don't have to do this," I said, feeling my heart begin to crack before Edward had even replied. Despite my thoughts yesterday about being played by Victoria, it made perfect sense. Everything she'd said had made sense, and I didn't want Edward to pretend for me.

"Do what?"

Wasn't it obvious?

"Take me on a date. Pretend you like me like that," I said, swallowing hard.

"Do you not want to go on a date with me?" he asked softly. Just his beautiful tone of voice was enough to break my heart. He sounded like he really cared... And perhaps he did. Just not as a lover.

"I didn't say that," I replied, looking at my hands, "But you don't have to pretend you do."

Edward's expression chaned suddenly, and I caught a dangerous flash of anger in his eyes. I had no idea why he was angry. Maybe he was angry with Victoria for blowing his cover, or maybe he was angry with her because he'd upset his friend. The word stuck in my mind, and caused my chest to clench painfully. I loved Edward. I'd take whatever I could get, but I'd allowed myself to hope his feelings for me were romantic since he'd asked me out on a date.

"I'm not pretending anything Bella. I asked you on a date because I wanted to take you, not out of pity," he said, spitting the last word.

I could feel the confusion spreading over my face. Edward actually wanted to go on a date with me? Me? Bella Swan? I hadn't realised how much I'd been doubting the man I loved until that moment, when I felt both confusion and a slight sense of relief spread through me. Edward was going on a date with me because he wanted to. But something was still nagging at the back of my mind.

"But Victoria said-"

"I know what Victoria said, but I wasn't true. Any of it," he sighed, cutting me off, "I would never string someone along and date somebody because I pitied them. That's not me Bella."

"It made perfect sense," I whispered, still avoiding Edward's gaze.

"How on Earth did anything she said make sense?"

It seemed to be Edward's turn to look confused. His brow furrowed and his eyes searched mine, though my eyes were still averted. I wasn't sure why, but I suddenly felt anger filling up inside me. Before I knew what I was doing, I was ranting, glaring at my tightly clasped hands.

"Why would someone like you date someone like me? You're smart, popular, you play football, and you could have any girl you wanted. I'm plain, boring, and neither popular nor sporty. People like you date people like Victoria, people like Tanya," I said, sneering the two names, and my voice became louder, angrier. I stood up, then continued, "You don't waste your fucking time with people like me, who so obviously aren't worth the time, the effort or the money. People like me don't get a second glance from the populars. People like me would expect a date from Mike Newton, but not you. I could never be any threat to Victoria, who, for your fucking information, wants to snag you. She's tall, slender and beautiful, and I'm average, skinny from starvation and bloody dull. I'm a pathetic nobody! There is nothing about me that you could possibly want!"

My voice had risen to a shout when I mentioned Mike Newton, and I hollered the last sentence at Edward, throwing the nearest object at hand at him, which was the remote control for his DVD player. He caught it before it hit him, and he watched as I broke down in tears, sobbing into my hands as I buried my face in them. I was so, incredibly embarrassed by my outburst, and even more upset about throwing that remote at Edward.

Suddenly, I heard movement, and then found myself being pulled into too-familiar arms. Though Edward was clearly trying to comfort me, I was still angry. I yanked my arms away from my face and raised my hands to hit his chest, still sobbing, tears streaming down my face. For a moment, Edward allowed me to hit chest and release some of my anger in the process, and then he caught my wrists gently and hugged me again. This time, I didn't pull away. I never wanted to move out of Edward's arms, but of course I did.

"You don't see yourself very clearly," Edward said, sitting us both back down on the bed, me still encircled by his arms, "You're beautiful, and you're anything but boring. I love spending time with you, and your personality is everything I look for an admire in a person. You're utterly selfless, kind, loving, funny... The list goes on. Popularity and sportiness doesn't matter to me, and it shouldn't to you. You are most certainly not a pathetic nobody. You're perfect as you are. You most definitely are worth my time, effort and money, and I would never, ever, have any wish to date Victoria over you. Victoria may be popular, and look like a model, but she leaves much to be desired as a person. Any man that has you would be the luckiest guy on the planet," he finished, his voice calm and gentle throughout.

For the first time that day, my plain brown eyes rose up to Edward's emerald ones. I felt hope. Maybe he did want me. He let a soft smile spread over his face, and, tentatively, I returned it, smiling up at him. My smile fell very slightly. I was abused. A freak. How could Edward ever want me?

"But I'm an-"

I was cut off when Edward's large, warm hands cupped my face and his beautiful, plush red lips were pressed against mine. I froze underneath his touch. Edward Cullen was kissing me! Then my brain kicked int gear, and I began to kiss him back, my lips pressing against his. Sparks erupted through my body, and a warm, heavenly feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I was still in shock, but I could smell his scent - honeysuckle and cinnamon, though I couldn't think of anything more manly and perfect.

I realised that my arms were still restong on the bed, and i felt like I should have been doing something with them. Not really thinking, I placed my arms lightly around Edward's. neck. I felt Edward's lips curve up into a smile against mine, and the corners of my own lips tugged upwards slightly. It was a very simple kiss, just two sets of lips pressing against each other, but it was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It seemed that, despite Victoria's perfect reasoning, Edward really did want me. His kiss was reassuring me more than many millions of words ever could. You could fake feelings in words, but you couldn't fake feelings in a kiss.

Carefully, Edward pulled his lips away from mine, and he smiled down at me, our faces just inches apart. Edward's eyes sparkled, and I bit my lip, feeling nervous. Should I have been doing something? Ever so gently, Edward moved his thumb down to my lips from where it still rested on my cheek, and freed my lower lip. The simple touch set my body on fire, and Edward smiled at me. I returned his smile, feeling slightly more confident.

"I don't want to hear any more about Victoria," Edward murmured, resting his forehead against mine, "But I do think we'd better talk about your insecurities."

"Must we?" I asked, feeling incredibly embarrassed. It wasn't really a conversation I wanted to have with Edward. I knew that I'd probably been stupid, but I couldn't help it. Edward was amazing, and, whatever he said, I wasn't. I still couldn't begin to comprehend why he'd want to spend much more than a little time with me, let alone date me.

"I think we should," he said, gently but firmly.

"You still owe me a date," I pointed out.

"I do, but I need a decent night's sleep first. Tomorrow, I promise."

I sighed, then nodded at him. I couldnt fault his reasoning. I too had slept badly, and I didnt really want to be yawning all thriugh our first date. Carefully, Edward pressed his lips back against mine for a few seconds - his hands still cupping my face from when we first kissed - and drew feather-light circles on my skin. He pulled away from me again, and I felt elated. He pulled me back into his arms, and we began to talk.

***

Over ninety minutes later, we were still sitting on Edward's bed, talking about our feelings, and my worries. More the latter than the former. Edward hadn't kissed me again, as we were too caught up in our conversation, but it still hadn't really sunk in. Edward had kissed me.

"Bella," Edward sighed, looking at me with tender affection, "We keep coming back to this. You really need to gain a little more self-esteem."

"I've spent the last eleven years being told I'm a waste of space," I said, my voice slightly bitter, "I know I have self-esteem issues. I can't help it."

Edward looked a little upset at my mention of my childhood, and he pulled me into a gentle hug.

"I know you can't sweet-girl," he murmured, "But none of the boys could keep their eyes off of you at the Christmas dance. Myself included."

I frowned.

"What? Why?"

I couldn't even begin to imagine why I, make-up-covered, plain, boring Bella Swan would attract the attention of so many teenage boys. Alice had done a good job helping me select my dress, doing my hair, and making my make-up look more natural, but I still hadn't looked amazing.

"Because you looked beautiful. Even more so because they all knew how wonderful you are as a person. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of you that night. Mike Newton had an even harder time. In fact, he failed to stop staring at you."

"I didn't even notice he was there," I said, blushing at Edward's earlier comments. Edward had called me beautiful. I was reminded of the time Edward had told me I was hot when I was angry while he drove me to his house for the first time. It was that day that I admitted to anybody that I loved Edward.

Edward chuckled, snapping me from my thoughts.

"He told me he was there with Jessica, but he spent most of his time dancing with Lauren."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

Edward laughed again, and my insides melted at the sound. Everything about Edward was perfect, right down to his honeysuckle scent. How did I get so lucky?

"Really though Bella," Edward said, his eyes shining with some emotion I couldn't name, "You are the most perfect woman I could ever hope to spend time with. Self-esteem issues or not, please don't doubt that I want nothing more than to go on this date with you, and many more afterwards."

Edward's words had me feeling incredibly emotional, and, to my horror, I found my eyes filling with tears. Edward immediately looked concerned, but I told him why I was crying before he could ask. Edward's lips curled up into that crooked smile that I loved so much, and before I could think about what I was doing, I threw my arms around him and pressed my lips to his.

"Look at me Bella," Edward said softly when we pulled apart, his warm breath washing over my face. I obeyed, looking deep into his jade depths, and he continued, "I will never lie to you. I never have, and I never will. Don't let anything anybody says upset you again. Please?"

I nodded, the emotion in his words making me feel incredibly content. Without warning, Edward took my hands in his and stood up, pulling me with him. Dropping one of my hands, Edward pressed a button on his CD player, and music filled the room. I didn't recognise the song, but the band was clearly British.

Slowly, Edward twirled me to the rhythm of the music, and I found myself smiling widely. Edward bent down and placed his mouth next to my ear, and began to sing the lyrics.

"_Some people fight, some people fall _

_ Others pretend they don't care at all _

_ If you wanna fight I'll stand right beside you _

_ The day that you fall I'll be right behind you _

_ To pick up the pieces_

_ If you don't believe me _

_ Just look into my eyes _

_ 'Cause the heart never lies."_

***

We headed downstairs after Alice hollered to us, saying that Esme had made lunch, about fifteen minutes later. Our hands were clasped when we walked into the kitchen where the rest of the Cullens, minus Carlisle, were assembled. Alice grinned at us, and Rose gave me a sneaky, satisfied smirk. Emmett was too preoccupied with his enormous sandwich to notice anything, but ever-charismatic Jasper seemed to have noticed our elated moods, as he smiled softly at us.

We sat down to eat, and Edward kept his fingers interlinked with mine as we ate, much to Emmett's amusement. He poked jokes at us all through lunch, though I didn't really care much. I was far too happy. Apparently though, it bothered Edward a little, who gave as good as he got.

Alice, Rose and I talked quietly through the meal, and I mentioned that we hadn't had a 'girls date' for a while. Since our last shopping trip before the Christmas dance in fact. Rose suggested we go to the movies, Angela too, and I agreed immediately. Alice, however, took a little persuading. She wanted to so shopping. Of course.

The six of us sat at the table talking long after our plates were cleared, Esme chiming in from where she was washing up. I'd offered to help, but she'd told me not to worry. According to Alice, Esme never let them wash up. I wasn't complaining. I'd done enough washing up at the Blacks' house to last me a lifetime.

Feeling happy and relaxed, we made our way up to the den. As we headed up, Edward let out a sigh and squeezed my hand, before disappearing up the stairs, past his siblings which had all hurried up before us. I didn't have a clue as to what he was doing until I entered the den a few moments later, and saw him sitting on the love-seat.

"I'd had enough of the beanbag," he whispered in my ear, pulling me down next to him.

I smiled and allowed him to pull me into his side. I curled up, tucking my feet underneath me and resting my head on Edward's shoulder. For a few minutes, I listened to the chatter of he other couples in the room, but I soon found my eyes drooping. I was incredibly tired, having slept badly the previous night, and Edward was the best pillow I could ask for.

I felt Edward pull me more snugly against his side, and then press a kiss into my hair. I smiled and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to begin to engulf me. Edward's honeysuckle smell wafted around me, and I was vaguely aware of Edward resting his head on top of mine, burying his face in my chestnut curls.

Just before I fell complete under, I thought about the lyrics of the song. The heart never lies. If the heart never lies, and my heart was telling me I loved Edward with all my being, then surely I did? There was doubt in my mind that Edward owned my heart, completely and utterly. But he had the power to break it into tiny little pieces.


	25. Chapter 24-I Thought Chivalry Was Dead

I sighed, closing my eyes and drifting off to my happy place - a place filled with Edward Cullen - as Alice and Rose pampered me. I felt someone twisting strands of my hair, and another doing something to my face. Probably Alice, covering me with make-up, I thought absently.

My eyes flew open.

"No make-up Alice!" I said, just as a suspicious looking box neared my face, "Ice had enough of that to last me a life-time."

"It's only fou-"

"No," I said firmly, "I don't mind a tiny bit, but no foundation or blusher or anything."

Sighing, and muttering about how disappointing I was, Alice set down the sleek compact and picked up a small tube of mascara. I kept half an eye on Alice, but my thoughts were far away, centering around the bronze-haired adonis I was going out with in an hour or so. I had no idea where he was taking me, and Rose and Alice had refused to spill the beans.

Rose proclaimed my hair perfect, and I focused my attention back to the present. My hair was simple - loosely curled and falling down my back - yet Rose had managed to make it look... beautiful. I had never, and would never think of myself as beautiful, but Rose had worked wonders.

Equally, when Alice had finished her torture and told me that she too was done, I was taken aback. Alice had kept my make-up simple. So simple, that a stranger wouldn't know I wore any. Of course, anybody that did know me knew I wasn't pretty. Alice had touched my eyelashes with mascara, and my eyelids with a natural-coloured eye-shadow. She'd also glossed over my lips with red, but hadn't gone over the top.

I smiled at my two friends, and thanked them profusely. I had been sad to hear that Angela had gone in holiday, and would miss me dressing up for my date. Nevertheless, I had wished her a good time. Rose waved my thanks off, and told me to change in her bathroom. I shot Alice a worried look, wondering what sinful piece of material she'd chosen for me.

I needn't have worried. In front of me was a simple, royal blue dress, that would fall to about my knee. It had no sleeves, rather a couple of thick straps. I stripped quickly out of my jeans and t-shirt, and stepped into the dress. I walked out of the bathroom a moment later and looked to Alice and Rose for approval.

"It looks great," Alice said, grinning widely.

"It does," Rose agreed, "Wear those solver pumps Alice bought you with it."

Right on cue, Alice disappeared into the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of silver pumps I'd worn for a matter of minutes to try on and 'break in'. I took them from Alice's outstretched hand and slipped my feet into them. I had to admit, I felt pretty. There was no way I could ever look like Alice and Rose did, but I felt pretty. It was a nice feeling.

Jasper sauntered into the room, and lop-sided grin on his face. Alice immediately went glassy-eyed, and I rolled my eyes at Rose. Rose merely grinned at me. It was the first time I'd really noticed the resemblance between the Hales, except for their hair colouring. Both, however, we're earring exactly the same crooked grin.

"You look beautiful darlin'," Jasper said, "And Edward's ready when you are. I should warn you, he's tearing his hair out."

"Why?" I asked, completely shocked. Jasper's grin widened.

"He's nervous."

I snorted.

"Right. He dated Tanya, bitchiest, most high-maintenance woman for two years, and he's scared of going on a date with me?"

"He's worried he'll mess up," Rose said, shrugging at me as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But he won't," I said. I knew that for a fact. Well, unless Edward decided to kiss or flirt with another woman, there was no way I wouldn't want to go on another date with him. I was utterly in love with the guy. Disagreeing with me or a mildly rude comment wasn't going to put me off.

"We know that, but Edward's a worrier," Alice said, yanking her eyes away from Jasper at last, "And he cares more about messing up with you than he ever did with Tanya."

Well ok then.

"Go on Bella. Get yourself down to your guy," Rose said, smiling.

"He's not my guy."

"Yet," Alice and Rose said at the same time.

Feeling stupidly nervous, I headed down the stairs of the Cullen house, to where Esme, Carlisle, Emmett and Edward were standing in the hallway. Esme was beaming at me, and Carlisle looked incredibly proud. I wasn't aware, until then, how much their approval and support meant to me. Emmett was grinning mischievously, and I was mildly worried about what was going through his mind.

Edward was aglow with emotion. He looked even more God-like in a pair of slacks and a light blue, button-down shirt, but his enchanting green eyes caught my attention more than any clothing ever could. I could catch happiness and awe in his emerald depths, but there were so many more. Once again, I wished I had more experience with people, so I could name the other emotions in Edward's eyes.

"You look beautiful," Edward murmured as I reached the bottom, and reached out to take my hand.

I blushed.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

Edward smiled his panty-dropping crooked smile, and I had to stop myself from staring at him. I could feel my heart thudding against my rib-cage, clearly trying to break free, and I felt myself heat up slightly with nerves. The entire family was gathered in the room, and I found myself becoming claustrophobic and nervous.

Edward squeezed my hand, obviously noticing my slight distress.

"Shall we go?"

I nodded, smiling gratefully. The family bid us goodbye, and Edward lead me out into the Cullen driveway. He opened the car door for me, and I blushed slightly at his show of chivalry. And I'd thought the Victorian tendencies you read about in the classics were dead! Edward Cullen was proving me wrong, and I liked it a lot.

I didn't bother asking where we were going, as I knew I wouldn't get an answer. Instead, we filled the journey discussing our favourite music and films. I had little experience of the latter, being privy only to the few I'd watched from the Cullens' vast library of DVDs. Edward was shocked that I'd never watched an Indiana Jones film. He told me that he'd rectify the situation later.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he said, glancing at my attire. I blushed.

"Thank you."

"It's true. You look nice in blue."

After a short drive into Port Angeles, Edward pulled up outside a quaint, neat-looking restaurant in a pleasant location - not too near any busy roads. The sign named it as Chestnut Cottage Restaurant. I smiled to myself. The restaurant apparently served only breakfast and lunch, so I assumed we had a lunchtime reservation booked. It was surrounded by neatly-clipped bushes and shrubs, and well-tended flower beds, containing everything from roses to lilies.

Edward was watching me carefully, as though gauging my reaction. He fiddled nervously with his fingers as I caught him staring at him, but didn't look away from my gaze.

"I hope this is ok. We can go somewhere else if you like. There's a place called-"

"Edward," I interrupted him, smiling slightly, "This looks perfect. Thank you."

I reached over the console and squeezed his hand. My reassuring motion seemed to kick Edward's brain back into gear, and he suggested that we go in. I nodded, and went to open the door, but Edward's hand on mine stopped me. He told me quietly, apparently a little embarrassed, that he wanted to get my door for me. I wanted to say that I could get it myself, but the kindness in the action stopped me. Edward was the very meaning of chivalry, and I liked it.

Edward took my hand as we strolled into the pretty place, and gave his name to the waitress standing near the door. Smiling at Edward in a rather flirtatious manner, she lead us to a secluded table towards the back of the building. She asked us - or rather, asked Edward - if we wanted anything to drink.

"Why don't you ask my date?" Edward said, nodding to me.

That's right bitch, I thought with an internal smirk.

I ordered a coke, and Edward ordered the same. I wasn't one to be jealous, usually, but the waitress' failed attempts at flirting with Edward had angered me. To distract myself, I glanced over the menu, and winced at some of the prices. In the end, I decided on the mushroom ravioli, and Edward the plaice.

"Mushrooms?" Edward asked, looking skeptical.

"You don't like mushrooms?"

"Not really. I hate tomatoes more," he said, wrinkling his nose. I laughed.

"Mushrooms I can understand, but tomatoes?"

"I don't know. They're all weird. Like, a cross between bitter and sweet."

"Bitter-sweet?" I asked with a grin, "I don't think so."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"No, not bitter-sweet. Anyway, don't you dislike foods?"

"Yeah, I hate brussel sprouts. They're these little green balls of muck, that look and taste like over-cooked cabbages. Hell, they're just mini cabbages."

Edward chuckled.

"I haven't had them much, but I can't say I loved them."

"No kidding," I said, smiling.

Our waitress came back over at that moment, and we placed our orders. She asked Edward if there was anything else she could get him, and I saw sure I saw a double-meaning behind her seemingly-innocent words. Edward, being the wonderful guy he was, didn't notice a thing.

"No, thank you," he said, throwing her a small smile.

I could see the disappointment in her eyes as she thrust her cleavage in his face before turning on her heel and heading to the kitchen. I was muffling my giggle behind my hand, and Edward frowned, looking adorably confused. Edward was far too cute for his own good. Both the waitress and myself knew it.

"What?" he asked.

"The waitress," I said, "You were dazzling her. She's probably in the kitchen hyperventilating."

"Dazzled?"

"You dazzle people. Do you think everybody gets away with the stuff you do?"

"Do I dazzle you?" he asked, using the full power of his eyes. Whether this was deliberate or not, I had no idea.

"Frequently."

Edward smiled.

"You're the only person I want to dazzle."

I laughed. He really was too sweet. We played a round of twenty questions as we waited for our food, and both Edward and I asked the most random, ridiculous questions. If course, had Emmett been playing, I suspected that my complete lack of sex-life would have been brought to light. Insert irritated sigh here.

"Favourite gem-stone?" Edward asked.

"Emerald," I said, blushing instantly. Usually, it was topaz, but with Edward's startling green eyes boring into mine, it was impossible to say anything else. Edward raised an eyebrow at me, presumably wondering about my sudden blush, but didn't say anything, for which I was grateful.

Our food came a moment later, and our waitress seemed to have given up on her pitiful attempts at flirting. If it weren't so hilarious to watch her facial expression, I'd have been completely grossed out. As soon as the phrase 'grossed out' ran through my head, I knew I'd spent too much time with Emmett and Ben.

It took a bite of my food, and it's flavour invaded my mouth, filling me with a warm feeling. It was good. I watched, fascinated, as Edward stabbed a piece of his fish, and put his fork in his mouth, his soft, pink lips wrapping around it in the most innocently-seductive way. I had to hold back a groan, which was most unlike me. I wasn't one to be fussed over boys, until Edward came along, and much less one to be caught up in actions not supposed to be in any way sensual.

Edward looked up at me.

"It's good. Do you want some?"

I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush slightly at the thoughts that had just been running through my head, and we spent the next few minutes sharing our food. I managed to convince Edward to try my mushroom ravioli, despite his dislike of mushrooms, and he was surprised to find that it wasn't so bad.

"Perhaps the peppercorn sauce overpowers the mushroom flavour," he said, grinning slightly. I sniggered at him.

"Face it Cullen. Mushrooms are ok."

This, of course, lead to a ten minute debate about mushrooms, and whether they were classed as good or bad. We never did come to a conclusion to that discussion, as our empty plates were taken away. We were offered dessert, but we declined, as Esme had promised us a lemon tart for dinner.

The bill was placed on our table, and I reached out to grab it, but Edward beat me to it. I began to protest, but Edward shut me up with a shake of his head. I waited until he'd looked over it, before I started up again.

"We can halve it Edward, you ca-"

"If you mind that much, then you can pay if you ask me out on a date. But really Bella, it's the man's job to pay," Edward said, grinning slightly at the end.

"Fine. Will you go on a date with me after Christmas?" I asked, crossing my arms, a little irritated.

"Of course," he said, laying a few bills and a small tip down on the little platter our receipt had been sent on. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," I said, sighing slightly. Edward stood up and took my hand, watching me with careful concern.

"You ok?"

"I don't want the day to be over," I confessed.

"It's not," Edward replied, smiling.

That, of course, put a massive smile on my face. Edward walked us back out to his car, and opened and shut my door for me. The chivalry Edward was showing made me fall for him that little bit harder. I'd been doubting it was possible to love somebody any more than I loved Edward, but I was surprising myself day by day.

Edward drove us part of the way back the way we'd come, and parked outside a little reception that appeared to be placed in the middle of nowhere. The forest surrounding it was pretty, but I assumed there was something more here, that I couldn't see from our position in the car.

I was right. We entered the ticket office and paid a small fee to enter the 'park' behind, which, of course, Edward insisted he pay for. We left the little office, and I immediately saw various lots of outdoor artwork. It was very contemporary in style, and I liked it. There was colour everywhere, from deep crimsons to exciting, bright greens, to gentle, soothing blues. Edward was watching my reaction as though expecting me to turn my nose up at the place he'd brought me to.

"Welcome to Port Angeles Fine Arts Centre," he said, looking slightly nervous, "I wasn't sure if you'd like it. We could go-"

"I love it," I assured him, "Come on."

I took his large, warm hand in mine and began to look at the various works of art. Most of these were sculptures or the like, but there was the odd painting, painted on thin cloth and hung between two trees. While I wasn't exactly a good artist myself, I did appreciate it, and artwork combined with nature, in the middle of a forest, bright green and lush from all the rain in Forks, was the icing on the cake. Edward couldn't have taken me to a nicer place.

We spent hours looking around at all the work dotted around the forest, and left at about half past five. I told Edward that I'd had a great time, and it was true. I'd loved our afternoon out, and almost wished we'd spent the entire day on a date. However, that would have meant Alice and Rose would drag me out of bed at the crack of dawn to 'beautify' me.

Our journey back to the house was a little quieter than our journey into Port Angeles. Neither of us wanted the day to be over, and we're wrapped up in our thoughts. I had to admit, it felt a little weird going back to the same house as Edward, and I said as much. Edward smiled, though looked a little uncomfortable.

"Edward?"

"About that. Carlisle was talking about it this morning. He- It doesn't matter," Edward said, running a hand through his bronze curls. I caught his hand and weaved my fingers through his.

"Go on," I encouraged him.

"I don't want to ruin today," he said, not meeting my gaze.

"You won't, I promise."

"Apparently, Charlie and Renee would like to make your stay at their house more permanent. just until you finish high school."

I was, truth be told, a little surprised by the thought. Then again, the Masens knew me better than I knew them, and had been friends with my parents before I was born. I supposed that it made sense that they were interested in me, and cared for me a little. I'd felt comfortable during my stay there. It was definitely a possibility for me to consider. Edward and I discussed it for a few minutes, Edward seeming glad that I wasn't upset or anything. After a while, we got onto the subject of university.

"I don't really know where I want to go. Somewhere with a decent medical school. I'd like to follow in Carlisle's footsteps," Edward said.

"I'd like to do something in English. I'm not sure what. Having lead a sheltered life, I don't know where I'd get into."

"You're pretty intelligent Bella. Maybe not at math, but you're good at biology, and Ben says you're 'ace' at English."

I blushed at his compliments, which made him chuckle.

"I wasn't joking Bella. You'd get into most places near here. U-Dub, definitely; Dartmouth, probably. The latter has a good medical school," Edward mused, seeming caught up in his own thoughts again.

I realised, with a jolt, that we'd pulled up in the Cullen driveway, and my hand was still clasped in Edward's. It made me blush even deeper. If only I could be some supernatural being that didn't blush. Like the emo vampire in the lame film we'd watched with the other Cullen siblings...

I snapped myself out of my thoughts, and turned to Edward.

"I had a great time. Thank you."

"As did I," Edward murmured, tracing over my cheekbone with a cool, long finger. Cupping my face in his left hand, he leant in and touched his lips to mine once, twice, then a third time. The third time, he applied a little more pressure, and left his lips on mine a little longer, enabling me to return his kiss.

He pulled away for the final time, and I found myself wanting more of his kisses. However, I didn't push what we'd shared. I wasn't sure about how close I could be to a man after all I'd been through. Then again, Edward's presence alone made me forget my suffering. It was a route we'd have to take slowly, and we'd have to tread carefully. There was, however, something I had to ask Edward.

Feeling incredibly awkward, I caught his attention just before he turned to climb out of his shiny, silver Volvo. I knew that my cheeks were tomato red, and I could hardly look Edward in the eye as I began to stutter incoherently. Looking concerned, Edward put two fingers under my chin and tilted my head up to look at him.

"Bella, calm down. What's the matter? You know you can ask me anything."

I nodded.

"It's embarrassing," I muttered.

Edward smiled a little.

"It's ok. I want laugh, I swear."

"It's still embarrassing," I said, forced to look in his eyes, "Ok. Have you ever... done, you know, stuff, sexual stuff, with Tanya, or your other girlfriends?" I knew that by the word 'done' I was a bumbling, babbling, blushing, mess.

"Have I ever had sex?" Edward clarified.

"Yeah," I mumbled, jerking away from Edward's hand so I could look anywhere but his piercing malachite eyes, which seemed to look right into my soul. Edward had posed my long, complex, confusing question that had embarrassed the hell out of me in five, plain, blatant words.

Once again, Edward tilted my head up so that he could look into my eyes. This time, I averted my eyes to look at the neck of his shirt, so that I didn't have to watch him as he spoke. I was mortified already, though I needed to know, and. I didn't need embarrassing further.

"Look at me, please," Edward said, his voice quiet. I obeyed, with a little reluctance, and he continued, "I'm not going to lie to you Bella. I have. But I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. You've been through enough on that front. I wouldn't make you do anything you didn't want to if you hadn't been through what you have. I promise you, we can go at your pace, whatever that may be. If you feel like we're ever going to fast, say so."

The gentleness in Edward's words had me relaxing a little, and I felt my eyes melt as I looked at the man I was in love with.

"I haven't done anything like that. Well, not out of choice. Ever."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of Bella. It doesn't make me think any differently of you."

"Thank you," I murmured.

"What on Earth for?" Edward asked, looking a little startled.

"Understanding."

"I should hope that any self-respecting man would lend you the same courtesy. But you're welcome."

I smiled, and, feeling slightly nervous again, I leant in and touched my lips to Edward's. I hadn't enitiated a kiss before, ever, not even by force with Jacob, and felt slightly apprehensive about doing it. Of course, they were ridiculous fears, and as soon as our skin make contact, I forgot about them.

"Let's go in," Edward said, before kissing my forehead tenderly. The look in his liquid green eyes was exactly the same as his kiss: tenderly affectionate. I felt my heart fluttering in my chest as we held each others' gaze for a minute or so, and found myself biting my lower lip when Edward climbed out and opened my door for me. Hand-in-hand, we headed into the main house.

***

**A/N**

**Ok, so as it was my first couple of days at school, I managed to get this done in a couple of days. In the future, updates will be slower. Weekly or fortnightly will be probable. Also, I will be away in Germany (I'm taking German as a language) on the 30th of September for a while. I won't be posting at all for a few days then, and will be unavailable as a beta-reader, for those of you that I edit for. **

**What did you think of their date? I was in trip advisor looking for the best places to eat and go for recreation, and I've found a couple of places for their next date, which will probably be in the next chapter. The next chapter will be Christmas/New Year, and their second date in between the two. I may also add in Bella's eventual decision about spending a year and a bit with Renee and Charlie, while she finishes high school. **

**The month of November is NaNoWriMo, and you have the month of November to write 50,000 words. I'm going to do it this year. My followers have already answered one question, about which of my new books they'd like next (summaries of which can be found on my message board), but I'd like you to answer a question for me. For NaNoWriMo, would you rather I began to work on my new story, still posting Ice Angel and Seducing the Good-Girl, just a little slower, or would you rather I worked just on Ice Angel and Seducing the Good-Girl? Either way, I will not post the new story until I've finished Ice Angel, probably. In case you are wondering, I plan to have Saviour finished by November, and the sequel will probably be started over December/January. **

**I'd you could answer that question, it'd be great, and thank you for reading!**

**Lucy xX**


	26. Chapter 25-Listen

_Listen to the song here in my heart_

_A melody I start but can't complete_

_Listen to the sound from deep within_

_It's only beginning_

_To find release_

Listen ~ Beyoncé

Christmas at the Cullen house was not a small affair. Edward and I were woken up before seven o'clock by the big baffoon known as Emmett on Christmas morning. After a little groaning and shouting from Edward's part, Emmett departed with a sigh, and went to wake up Alice and Jasper. I presumed Rose had already been woken up by her boyfriend.

Edward let out a little hum and pulled me closer into him, burying his face in my hair. We lay there for a few moments, before Emmett began to make too much noise for it to be comfortable. With a huff, Edward stood up, pulling me with him, and gave me a little privacy to get dressed.

We headed downstairs, to find Emmett and the other Cullens in the living room, the former bouncing up and down in excitement. Rose rolled her eyes at him, and I had to hold back a snicker. Emmett really was an over-grown kid. He'd be great as a Dad, but it'd wreck havoc around the house. I felt slightly sorry for Rose.

"Come on, presents!" Emmett said, jigging up and down.

"Emmett," Esme said sternly, "We have to wait for the Masens. You know we always do Christmas with them."

Emmett looked crestfallen, until Esme said she'd make some breakfast. At the mention of food, Emmett's eyes lit up, and he seemed appeased, for the time being.

After eating our fill of a delicious breakfast - which consisted of eggs, bacon, beans, and toast - the doorbell rang, and Carlisle left to let the Masens in. Carlisle and I had discussed my staying with the Masens, and I was leaning towards accepting their offer. I loved being with the Cullens, Edward especially, but I felt like I was intruding upon them. Carlisle and Esme couldn't possibly be expected to provide for six children. Whatever I decided, I knew I'd be getting a job when the term started up again.

After greeting each other, we all sat down and Emmett played Santa, handing the presents round with excitement. In general, it seemed that the couples had bought presents together, and Edward and I were no exception. We'd put our heads and dollars together to think of and buy a present for each person that would be attending the Cullen Christmas. I also bought Angela and Ben a present, but neither of them would be attending our little gathering.

"I'm afraid Emmett has to go first," Esme said with a wry smile.

Emmett whooped and began to tear at the paper of his first present. Paper was scattered around the room as Emmett tore open present after present. He opened the present Edward and I had bought him third, and his face was hilarious. We'd bought him some crappy zombie movie he'd been bitching about seeing, and a t-shirt with 'Made From Awesome' written across the front.

We went round in a circle, opening presents. The majority of Carlisle's and Jasper's presents consisted of books and awesome little trinkets - Carlisle had been given a pocket watch from Esme, with various medical terms engraved on the back. Alice and Rose were given many clothes and gift cards to clothes shops, though Rose was also given a year long membership to the local gym. Apparently Charlie and Renee always bought the Cullen kids things like that. Rose loved it.

Esme presents varied hugely, from flowers to gift cards for furniture stores, from books to a design magazine membership. Renee's presents were equally varied. Charlie received mostly fishing-related things, and Carlisle, Esme, Edward and I had all chipped in for a weekend fishing trip for him and Renee between Christmas an the new year.

When it came to Edward's turn, I was nervous about him opening my present. I'd struggled with what to buy him, and had thought about it for weeks. It was during a random conversation with Angela over the phone that one idea came to me. I knew that Edward could pay the piano, but I'd never heard him play. I also knew that, upon occasion, he composed his own pieces. So I'd decided to buy him some nice manuscript paper, for any future compositions.

Having wrapped and sorted that, I'd decided I needed to buy him something else. A little bit of paper seemed a little pathetic, regardless of it being nice paper. I was browsing through Amazon on my incredibly slow laptop while I'd listened to Edward and Jasper being beaten at some video game, and saw a personalised Kindle cover, which looked good. It made an ordinary Kindle look like an old-fashioned, leather-bound book. After confirming that Edward owned a Kindle, I'd ordered it.

I waited for Edward to open the first present. He'd picked up the manuscript paper first. He smiled when he opened it and flicked through the thick pages, and turned to me, looking truly thankful.

"Thank you," he said.

"It's a hint. I haven't heard you play yet," I said, nudging him slightly with my elbow.

"I'll rectify that later," he promised, reaching for the next present in his pile, which was my second one. Again, I waited nervously as Edward tore off the wrapping paper - with a little more dignity than Emmett had. Emmett was itching to watch his new horror movies, I could tell.

As Edward pulled the Kindle cover out, a small, confused smile came over his face. Clearly, he didn't know what it was for. I'd hidden Edward's Kindle behind the sofa earlier, in preparation, and I reached down to grab it, before handing it to him. Realisation dawned on his face, and he slipped his Kindle into the case. It looked pretty good.

"It's great. Thank you," Edward said, kissing me briefly. Emmett hooted from the other side of the room, causing us all to roll our eyes. Rose promptly hit him over the back of the head, her lips twitching slightly as she did so. It was my turn then, to open presents, so I turned to the pile that I'd been given by Emmett earlier.

Alice and Jasper had, of course, given me a gift card to a clothes shop in Seattle, but there was also a book in there. I assumed that this was specifically from Jasper. It wasn't a particularly expensive or new book, but it was one I'd wanted. Jasper had obviously caught onto my love of romance books, and had bought me 'A Walk to Remember' by Nicholas Sparks. It sounded good.

Emmett and Rose had hipped in with Charlie and Renee to buy me something heavy and rectangular. I frowned as I opened it, and gasped as I saw a brand new laptop. Sure, it was no MacBook, but it was new, faster, and it was mine. I thanked the four of them profusely for buying me such an expensive present, but they all waved off my thanks.

Esme and Carlisle had bought me a gift card to the Port Angeles book store, which would last me for a while. I loved books, and any presents that enabled me to read more were perfect. Since being let out of the hell-house, I'd found that Wesley and Buttercup had nothing on the modern romance books.

Emmett had arranged my presents so that I'd open Edward's last, as he'd arranged Alice to open Jasper's last, Emmett to open Rose's last, etc. Clearly, despite Emmett's upbeat, seemingly random dishing out of presents, there had been a method to his madness. It was a good method.

I went to reach for the last present, when I realised that there were three. I turned to glare at Edward, who merely gave me a sheepish shrug. He knew I didn't like people spending lots of money on me, so I hoped Edward hadn't bought me a laptop on his own. If he had...

Huffing slightly, I reached for one of the boxes, and was pleased to find a book. That was the kind of present I could accept.

"Thank you," I said, smiling.

"You approve?" Edward asked, returning my smile.

"Definitely."

Feeling some trepidation, I picked up the next present in the now-small pile in front of me. It was a small, slim, square box, and I assumed it was a CD. To my surprise, it was a DVD. An India Jones DVD. I grinned at Edward, remembering our conversation while driving to Port Angeles on our date.

"We didn't own the DVD," Edward said, "I had to make other arrangements."

"It's perfect," I said, smiling as I leant down to retrieve the final box.

I didn't bother trying to guess what it was, as it could have been anything, but tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a wooden box. It looked old, several decades old at least, and there were various types of flowers that I couldn't name engraved on the top. The box was beautiful, and trimmed with fine gold, which had lost a little of its shine, but the effect was still there.

"Open it," Edward murmured, looking slightly nervous. I saw tears in Carlisle's and Esme's eyes through my peripheral vision, which confused me slightly. What on Earth was in this box? Clearly, something special enough to nerve Edward and make the people that had been like parents to me teary.

Still pondering what could have been in the box, I flicked open the simple clasp and drew back the lid. I sucked in a quick breath at what was revealed to me. A necklace, which looked as old as the box. The chain was simple, and the individual links were small enough for it to appear like one long piece of metal. The chain wasn't what had caught my attention, and brought tears to my eyes though.

Sitting in prime position on the little velvet cushion fitted into the box, was a diamond, heart-shaped pendant. It had been cut with incredible intricacy and precision, and caught the homely lights of the Cullen living room, throwing rainbows around the room. It was a fine, perfect piece of jewellery, and obviously very expensive. There was no way I could accept it.

"Edward, I can't possibly-"

"It was my grandmother's," he said, interrupting me, "I didn't spend a penny."

"It's beautiful," I said, looking back down at the necklace as I blinked back my tears. There was no way I could keep something like that.

"Keep it Bella," came Esme's voice form beside me, "It was my mother's. She told Edward to give it to the woman he l- cared for most, just before she died."

I wondered, momentarily, what Esme had been going to say. She'd cut herself off just before the word 'cared'. But my thoughts were short-lived, as I found my tears spilling over from emotion. I lifted a hand to my face to wipe them away, and saw Edward watching me with worry.

"I'm fine," I said, in answer to his gaze.

Edward smiled and took the box from my hands, and untangled the necklace from where it was held in by a couple of minuscule clips, which appeared to have been added at a later date. They looked several years younger than the rest of the box. Edward clasped the necklace around my neck, and kissed me once again. It hung just in between the very top of the valley of my breasts, over the shirt I was wearing that day.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Thank you," he replied.

"What for?"

"Wearing it."

"Who wouldn't? It's amazing."

"I doubt Tanya would have worn it," Rose said, "It's not modern enough for her."

"No shit Sherlock," Emmett said, wincing as Esme hollered at him to mind his language. I muffled my giggles and curled myself into Edward's chest. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we listened to and participated in the various conversation going on around the room.

It was, without a doubt, the best Christmas I could remember.

Three days after Christmas, a fine layer of snow covered the ground as I stepped outside, clutching Edward's hand, to go on our second date. Emmett found my inability to walk across a flat surface amusing enough, and he found my tendency to fall on my backside when snow or ice was present even more hilarious. Needless to say, that was why I was holding onto Edward for dear life.

We reached Edward's Volvo, and I told him that I'd drive. Edward rolled his eyes at that, but opened my door for me anyway. Our conversation on the way to Port Angeles was light and teasing, and both of us were in extremely good moods, due to the Christmas season, and our outing the previous day. Angela had returned from her holiday, and us girls had had an outing to the movies and a lunch, and the guys had gone to some arcade.

We'd decided to do an evening date, and so I was taking Edward to the Port Angeles Marine Life Centre. I knew that he loved biology, and Alice said that he'd never been there. Apparently, he'd never done all the touristy stuff due to being a 'moody prat' about moving to Forks, and then he'd been too caught up in going to vile clubs with Queen Bitch.

Edward's eyes lit up when he saw where I was taking him, and he drew me in for a hug over the console. After thanking me profusely, he got his butt out of the car and opened my door. Apparently Jasper always did the same for Alice. I doubted Emmett did, but then again, I doubted Rose gave a damn. Alice said that according to Jasper and Edward, 'a man knows that a real woman can do it herself, but a real gentleman won't let her.'. I was sure that this saying came from Esme. It had made me giggle nevertheless.

Hand in hand, we walked into the centre and oohed and aahed at all the amazing things on show. We watched a couple of kids touch some rays in a large tank, and laughed a little as one gave their mother a running commentary of everything that was going on. Honestly, little kids were hilarious.

I'd never given much thought to whether or not I wanted kids. After all, I'd been shut up and abused for my entire childhood, and it seemed like I'd die before I got out if the Blacks' house. However, at that moment, as I watched the kids around the tank and Edward's amused expression as he too surveyed their movements and words, I knew that I wanted to pop one of two in the future. Hopefully, with Edward.

We moved on from the 'interactive area', and continued onto the weird and wonderful fish in the smaller tanks. We continued to chat casually as we looked around, and hardly noticed the time passing. It was only when we were practically the only people left, save for an elderly couple behind us, that I realised how late it had got. We needed to go if we wanted to catch our reservation.

Edward thanked me again for taking me once again as we climbed into the car. I told him that it was no trouble, and drive towards the restaurant I'd decided looked the best. Well, it was more of a cafe, in size, but it did all-day service, and did proper meals in the evening. Most places in Port Angeles seemed only to do fish and steak.

We pulled up outside a pretty little restaurant I'd looked up called the Cafe Garden. It was swamped by large gardens, and looked almost as though it had been converted from a cottage. Vines trailed up the white walls, and the thorn-clad stems of roses poked out of the ground feebly, due to the cold weather.

"This is ironic," Edward muttered upon seeing where we were.

"Why?" I asked, slightly surprised.

Edward's tone of voice was exceedingly bitter, and he looked almost angry. I knew that we could always go somewhere else, but I did want to know why Edward seemed to dislike the place so much. And to call it 'ironic'...? I was confused, to say the least. Edward hesitated slightly before replying.

"I took Tanya here when I asked her to be my girlfriend."

"Oh."

Well that wasn't so bad. It could have been worse. I could have been here that he took Tanya before deciding to take a break with her or something...

"You'll see why it's ironic later. Let's go."

Edward lead us in, and I gave my name. We were lead to a table towards the back, and I was glad to see we had a thirty-something year old waiter serving us, not a waitress from a local high school. He seemed professional enough, and certainly didn't try to flirt with me or anything. Again, we both ordered a coke, and looked over the menus.

"I'm having trouble deciding. What d'you recommend?" I asked, glancing up from the menu.

"The seafood pot pie is delicious. Mots of their pasta dishes are good too. Don't get a sandwich. They're full of mayonnaise. It disgusting."

"I'll go with the seafood pot pie then. What are you having?"

"I think I'm going to have the teriyaki stir fry. I haven't had it before, but it sounds good."

We discussed the foods on the menu a little longer, and then ordered. The atmosphere in the restaurant was pleasant, and I enjoyed our light conversations both before and during our meals. When Edward tried his stir fry, he let out a delectable moan that had my insides tingling and my body feeling... aroused. I'd never really thought about what the word meant to a woman, or what feeling 'aroused' was like, but Edward had educated me, without realising.

"That's amazing," Edward said, "Try some."

I nodded, not trusting my voice to come out normally, and sampled his food. It was indeed amazing, as was my own. Edward had good taste in food. Except the whole mushrooms thing. I didn't get not liking mushrooms. They were delicious, particularly fried. I was surprised that his stir fry didn't come with mushrooms, but they weren't mentioned on the menu, and there were none on his plate.

We enjoyed our meal, and ordered a dessert to share. It was a fruity tart, with a side of vanilla ice cream. It was pretty good, though nowhere near as good as the seafood pot pie had been. Clearly, that was their specialty. We were full by the end of the evening, and it was twilight outside.

The bill was delivered to our table, and I was glad to see that it wasn't too expensive. I wasn't exactly rolling in money. I had a little money left over from the times that Billy had sent me out to buy stuff, and hadn't asked for his change back. I had also technically inherited my parents money, but Billy had spent most of that on beer and the like. Bastard.

I grabbed the bill before Edward could protest, and checked it over. I pulled out my purse and laid down the money, when I felt a hand on mine. I looked up to meet Edward's eyes, and began to tell him that he'd agreed that I could pay, but he cut me off with a shake of his head.

"Take a walk with me?" he asked softly, motioning to the well-tended gardens out at the back of the Cafe Garden. I nodded, feeling slightly bad for getting irritated when I didn't know what he was going to say, and allowed him to take my hand. He pushed open the door and we took a few steps into the cold night air.

A slight shiver ran down me, and Edward immediately wrapped and arm around me. I snuggled into his side, revelling in his warmth and the comfortable silence between us. We wandered around for a few minutes, looking at the gardens without exchanging a word, and I felt Edward glance down at me several times.

After another minutes or two, Edward turned to me, holding one of my small, cool hands loosely in his large warm one. He looked slightly nervous before he spoke, and I wondered what on Earth was running through his mind. We stared at each other for a moment, before Edward spoke, at last.

"Bella," he said, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes, of course!" I said, flinging myself at him.

How Edward could have doubted for a second my want for him was beyond my understanding. Edward laughed a little as he caught me, preventing us both from toppling over backwards. Gently, he pressed his lips to mine, and, once again, sparks erupted all over my body, and my lips began to tingle. With a very simple kiss, Edward made me feel things I could never have dreamed of before I met him. He really was amazing.

Now I knew why it was ironic of us to be at the Cafe Garden. Edward had asked both Tanya and myself to be his girlfriend here. Not that I minded. Our time there had been perfect, and I hoped for many, many more of those perfect dates with Edward Cullen, the man I loved.

Though it would have been nice for our two week holiday to go on forever, it didn't, and soon enough, New Year was upon us. We were all gathered in the living room, Angela and Ben too, after being invited along by myself and Emmett, watching the TV and waiting for the celebrations to begin after the big countdown.

Esme had handed around the champagne at about eleven, and had told us that there was no way we could have more than two, small glasses. Obviously, Carlisle and Esme had worked out that less than a hundred millilitres of champagne wasn't going to hurt their kids on New Year's Eve. Sensible parents.

I set down my glass as the countdown began, and Edward pulled me up onto my feet with the other couples, so that we could shout and holler as the new year approached. Emmett was grinning enthusiastically, and every person in the room, Carlisle and Esme included, was keeping very close to their significant other. I had no idea why, but I was only too happy to stay right next to Edward.

"Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!" we all hollered at exactly the same time.

It was at that moment in time that I was taught about why the couples in the room stayed together just before the new year. I had barely uttered the word 'year' when Edward's arm was around my waist, spinning me around so that I was facing him, and planted his lips on mine.

As usual, fireworks erupted throughout my body at just the simple touch of our lips, and I found myself placing my arms around Edward's neck. As I had several times before, I longed to delve my fingers into his bronze locks as our lips were locked together for their customary few seconds.

Feeling only slightly strange, I did just that, and ran my fingertips through the hair at the nape of Edward's neck. I felt him stiffen ever so slightly against me, and I got the weirdest sensation of Edward holding something - something physical - back as he pressed his delectable lips against mine.

Gaining a little more confidence, despite Edward's mildly strange behaviour, I ran my fingers through his hair a little more obviously, loving the feel of his silky curls against my fingers. As I did so, it was like something clicked inside of the man in front of me, and something he'd kept carefully locked up was suddenly released.

I felt Edward's arms tighten around my waist, and he pulled me more snugly against his chest. Then, tentatively, I felt Edward's lips move against mine a little. Hell yeah. I moved my lips against his in the same slow motion, loving the feeling of our lips being sandwiched against each other.

My heart-rate picked up, and the fireworks in my body flashed in front of my closed eyes as well. I'd never felt anything like what I was feeling with Edward before. And let's face it, in the world of intimate relationships, a little bit of kissing was nothing. We weren't even making out. At the thought, I felt a shiver of pleasure run through my body. I hardly wanted to know what a real, full-out kiss from Edward would do to me. I'd be forever broken.

Slowly, Edward moved his arm from around my waist and cupped my cheeks in his hands, before slowing down the movements of our lips until they were still, just tangled together. Then, still slowly, Edward pulled his lips away from mine, and my eyes flitted open, meeting his.

For a moment, time stood still as we stared at each other. I felt my easy blush rise up my cheeks, but I wasn't really bothered. Edward knew I blushed a lot. And hell, we'd just shared our most intimate kiss yet. Edward moved his hands away from my cheeks and wrapped his arms back around my waist.

"Happy New Year," Edward murmured, his voice slightly husky, and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

"Happy New Year," I repeated, horrified at the breathy way my voice sounded.

"Don't look behind you," Edward said after another minute or so, breaking the beautiful trance we were captured in.

"Why?"

"Rose and Emmett always kiss, er, intimately, on New Year's day."

I laughed slightly, and then something occurred to me.

"I still haven't heard you play the piano," I said.

Edward glanced over my shoulder at the other couple in the room. I could hear Carlisle and Esme talking quietly, though I couldn't make out their words, and I could hear nothing from the other couples, save for their heavy breathing, so I assumed that they were still embracing and kissing their significant other.

"Come on," he said, taking my hand in his and leading me from the living room.

Edward passed the stairs that lead to the upper levels of the house, and continued past the library, into a section of the house I'd never been in before. Actually, I'd never even noticed the small corridor that we were walking down, presumably to reach wherever the piano was kept.

After not all that long, we entered a secluded room, and Edward pushed the door to, before taking a seat on the stool that stood in front of a large, black, grand piano. I curled up on a circular, mahogany-coloured armchair and watched Edward, waiting for him to play something. For what I'd heard, Edward was an incredibly pianist.

I could see only half of Edward's face as he lifted his hands to hover over the keys, and then began to play. His brow furrowed in concentration for a moment, and then he relaxed as his entire being seemed to melt into what he was playing. It made me smile to watch him do something he'd always enjoyed so much, and found such peace in doing.

The notes floated around the room, and my smile grew. I didn't recognise the tune Edward was playing, but it was beautiful. In some ways, I never wanted to hear the end of the piece, for it would signify the end, but I had a feeling that the conclusion would leave me happily teary. I was right.

"That's beautiful Edward," I said, my voice quiet, barely a whisper.

"I composed that the day we moved here, when I first sat down at this piano. It's one about Esme."

Now he said it, I could easily understand how the beauty of the piece could signify Esme, the kind, motherly figure in my life.

"I love it," I said. I really wanted to add on 'I love you', but I guessed that it wasn't the best time to state my probably-unreturned feelings to Edward.

Before I could think much more and make myself feel sad, Edward started playing again. It was another piece I didn't recognise, probably another of his own compositions, and was equally as beautiful, perfect and heart-felt as the last. If not more so. I wondered whether that piece was something about Alice, who seemed to be the other person in his life that Edward loved truly and absolutely and trusted wholly.

Then again, there was a sense of mystery and darkness at the beginning that couldn't possibly represent little, bubbly Alice. In fact, none of it was the chipper, upbeat tune I'd expect to represent Alice. It was far more soothing and gentle. Who was the piece about? Or perhaps it wasn't about anyone.

The piece came to a peaceful close, and I found myself feeling far more emotional than I had at the end of Esme's song. I felt tears in my eyes as Edward turned to me, as though to ask my opinion. I gave him a small smile to assure him that I wasn't hurting or anything, as I didn't trust my voice at that moment.

After pulling myself together a little, I spoke.

"That was... It was perfect Edward. I don't know how to describe it," I said, my voice shaking slightly from the emotions the piece had given me.

"You," Edward said.

"What?" I asked, utterly confused. What about me? Had I spoken something out loud and not realised? And then forgotten?

"You," Edward repeated, his voice soft, "That piece is you. It's about you. Everything I've felt about you from the day I first bashed into you in the parking lot."

At Edward's words, I felt my tears spill over and flow freely down my cheeks. I was too shocked to speak at all. Edward stood up quickly and wrapped me in a hug, then wiped away my tears with his thumb, his touch sending sparks across my thing. I had no idea how Edward could have felt so much emotion about me. Perhaps, just perhaps, Edward did return some of my feelings.

"Edward, I-" I cut myself off, having no idea what I'd been about to say.

"I was so confused Bella," Edward said, looking right into my eyes, "I saw you in the lunch hall, giving me just a single glance, and Emmett made some comment about having myself another fangirl. I couldn't get you out of my head that day. I felt so guilty. I had a girlfriend, and my thoughts were constantly on another girl. I was confused about you too. Sometimes, it seemed like you were as affected by me as I was by you, and then sometimes, it seemed like you couldn't care less. Then while I went through all that drama with Tanya, taking a break with her, her cheating, finally ending it... Just hearing your voice over the phone made me feel better. I haven't been able to get you out of my head since we first met, no matter how hard I tried. Now I've given up. I don't want you out of my head."

I was sure I was crying again due to what Edward was saying to me, but I couldn't really tell. I was too enraptured by his eyes, his words, his being, his soul... Everything about Edward was perfect, but his soul took the word to a whole knew level. There was nothing, nothing at all, that anybody in their right mind would ever want to change.

"I didn't understand what was going on in my mind," Edward said, his voice softening impossibly further, "I still don't really understand what's going on in my mind, but I have several theories. I don't think anybody knows what it is, so they've invented a strange little word for it. Bella, I-"

"Bella! Edward!" Emmett hollered, "Come on, we need to watch a movie! We- Ouch!"

Edward let out a quiet groan as Emmett's call shattered our mood completely. I had to admit, I was glad that somebody, presumably Alice or Rose, had whacked him over the head. I had no idea what Edward was about to say, and I had a feeling it would be a while before I found out. It was obvious that Edward had been thinking about saying whatever it was for a while, as he was talking about way back before he'd even broken up with Tanya, and it had taken his ages to say it.

_Could I kill Emmett, or would Esme be upset?_

"I'm sorry," Edward murmured, kissing my forehead.

"What for?"

"Emmett."

I smiled slightly, and Edward captured my lips with his own, and it felt home again. Edward was right. I had no idea what I was feeling. I knew it was love, but what was love? I had my own theory, though about love, not about whatever it was Edward was talking about. Adoration of the soul. It was true. I adored Edward's soul. It attracted me in every possible way, both physically and mentally.

As we broke our kiss, something flashed through Edward's eyes, and I couldn't catch what it was. It was an emotion I'd seen before, and I had no idea how to learn what it was. I had a gut feeling that it was important, but I had no idea how. Perhaps, one day, Edward would tell me.

We stood up to leave the piano room, and Edward took my hand, joining us together.

Not only was my hand captured and joined to his, but my soul too.

**A/N**

**I'm sure you can all have an educated guess at what Edward was going to say to Bella. I have to admit, that wasn't planned, but Edward decided to be brave. I'd also planned this to be a short chapter, but it's turned out a little longer than usual. I'm sure you're not complaining too much, right?! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**Lucy xX**


	27. Chapter 26-Trials

**A/N**

**Alright you lot, I've got a couple of things that need to be said. Firstly, I apologise for the massive time-skip in this chapter, and I'm afraid there'll be another one in the future... probably. I hope you don't mind too much. Secondly, I'm not a lawyer or a criminal or a victim of a crime, and I'm studying neither law, nor politics, nor economics, so I apologise for any errors in this chapter. All information comes from research on the Internet, and crime shows on TV! **

**Oh yeah, and I'm planning on having this finished for NaNoWriMo, which starts on November 1st. The sequel most probably won't be posted until January, as I'll have other things to write. I need a break from this story. I probably won't update 'Ice Angel' or 'Seducing the Good-Girl' until I've finished this, which will be in a few months, maybe less.**

**Enjoy this chapter, though I will warn you that it's a bit of a filler. It jumps around a little, but three major things happen that need to!**

**Lucy xX**

After the new year, our remaining days of the two week break passed rather quickly. Soon, we were back at school, and, to my surprise, the drama dropped right down. Nothing happened all through January at school, except Alice sighting the same blond creep at another football match.

Although, during January, I excepted the Masens' offer, and decided to spend my last year and a bit of Forks High under their roof. I'd gotten myself a Saturday morning job at the diner, which made me feel far more independent. I didn't sleep as well without Edward around me, but I could deal with it. When Rose had asked me about my reasoning for staying with the Masens, I told her that I felt closer to my parents there. It was true. And so, Charlie and Renee were granted temporary custody of me, until I reached eighteen.

February came with a little gossip around the school, as Victoria and Tanya hacked it out in the canteen one day. It ended with Victoria calling Tanya a whiny, pathetic bitch, and Tanya storming out in tears. Victoria became, from that day forth, the Forks High School Queen Bee. Fun times.

I'd been dreading March for some time, as it would signify the trial of Jacob and Billy, and the difficult end to a painful, emotional fight that I'd been fighting since I was six years old. The thought brought tears to my eyes. Six years old. I could picture Billy's first slap after Jacob fell over in the living room perfectly, and it still terrified me.

It was the weekend before the trial, which would take place on the Tuesday, and Alice had phoned me up to say that Edward was 'moping around, could I come over and kick his ass into gear'? Of course, I was happy to oblige. Alice had picked me up in her rather ostentatious yellow Porshce, and drove me over to my guy.

Edward had greeted me with his customary kiss, like that which we'd shared on New Year's. On the physical front, our relationship was progressing very slowly. I was cautious about what I was doing, as I didn't want to make myself uncomfortable, and have to reject Edward, and Edward was being cautious about what he was doing because he didn't want to upset me, or hurt me. Even so, it was perfect.

The two of us were laying back, watching the Indiana Jones movie Edward had bought me for Christmas in his room during one of my multiple visits to the Cullen house. Obviously, I'd watched it before, but I was completely addicted. I was going through phases like that, as the boys of the Cullen household continued to show me new films that I'd never seen while locked up with the Blacks.

I felt Edward press a kiss to my neck, and I let out a slight gasp. Not because it hurt, or made me uncomfortable, but because I was surprised - he'd never kissed my neck before - and it felt amazing. Like, major fireworks and fast heartbeat amazing. Edward moved his lips away from my neck instantly.

"I'm sorry Bella, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said.

"You didn't," I replied, "I was surprised, and it felt..." I hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed, "Good."

Edward laughed slightly, and bent his head forwards again and pressed his lips back against my neck. He didn't attempt to do anything more intimate, like licking or nibbling or sucking, but repeated the action a few times. I was incredibly grateful to Edward for being so understanding, and compassionate.

"Are you actually watching this?" Edward asked, pulling his lips away from my skin. His breath was it on my neck, though the moist patch from where his lips had been felt cold as his breath blew over it, and the combination of the two sensations, plus Edward's close proximity, sent shivers through my body.

"Not really. I'm being distracted."

My voice was breathless, despite the simplicity of Edward's actions. The man had the strangest effect on me, and I loved it. I was, however, disgusted with how my voice sounded. What on Earth would Edward think of me? Ugh. Though I'd been around normal people at Forks High since the September of the previous year, I hadn't learned that girls always sounded like that during throws of passion. I definitely didn't realise that it boosted a guy's too-large ego to know that he'd made his girl sound like that.

Edward chuckled, and pressed his lips back against my neck, stopping the DVD at the same time. He threw the remote control across the room, and it landed near the door with a clatter. I heard him mutter 'oops' against my neck, but he didn't seem all that worried. Then again, neither was I. I was far too caught up in the emotions wracking through my body at the speed of light.

I knew, in that moment, that I could kiss Edward properly, as I had often had to see other couples kiss, and not feel even slightly uncomfortable or nervous. Well, maybe I would be nervous, but not nervous about they way my body would react after my years with Jacob. He was far from the front of my mind, despite the trial which was approaching.

"Edward," I murmured, trying not to let out the groan that I wanted to release as Edward kissed along the underside of my jaw to the pressure point below my ear. I felt my breathing hitch as he pressed kisses along that area again, and I held my breath, still trying not to moan or groan or anything equally embarrassing.

I had a lot to learn.

Edward pulled away from me suddenly, and it took all of my self-restraint not to whine at the loss of his lips. Instead, Edward caught my chin in his hand and turned my face to his. He looked incredibly concerned, and I had no idea why. Usually, when Edward was worried, I knew why.

"Breath, please," he said, his voice soft.

I hadn't realised that I'd been holding my breath, but I remembered trying to hold back any... noises... that wanted to escape my lips. I took a deep breath, and immediately felt better. Edward was still watching me with a worried expression, and I wasn't sure why. What had I done to make him worried?

"Did that make you-"

"No," I said, understanding Edward's worries, "Not in the slightest. I-"

Just as I'd cut Edward off before he could finish, Edward cut me off by placing his lips firmly over mine, cupping my jaw in one hand as he moved his lips against mine. This was as passionate as our kisses ever got, and they left me trembling and gasping for breath. I didn't want to think about what a real kiss would do to me.

I felt a sudden feeling of want and need ignite inside of me, and I found myself burying my hands in Edward's hair, raking my fingers through it. I'd never plunged my fingers into his locks the way I did then, and I loved it. They were silky, smooth, and just the right length for gripping on to and running your hands through.

One of Edward's arms snaked around my waist, holding me closer to him than I'd been before. I didn't mind in the slightest. I knew that Edward could have pulled me closer to him, and tighter against him, if he'd wanted to, but he didn't. In some ways, I was thankful for that, but in other ways, I wasn't. However, Edward's hand travelled up my back, and began to tangle itself in my hair, which I'd left loose.

Though we both seemed to be in a passionate mood, I was surprised - not unpleasantly so - when Edward's lips parted very slightly against mine. I didn't move my lips, but didn't move away. I wasn't entirely sure what Edward was about to do, but I didn't want to deter him. I pressed my lips back against his, and waited for a moment.

For a few seconds, that was all that happened. Edward's breath hitting my lips made me tingle all over, but I could practically hear the cogs of his brain working as he tried to decide whether or not to go through with his plans. Whatever they were. After a moment, Edward shifted slightly.

Then, slowly, gingerly, tentatively, I felt Edward's tongue run across my bottom lip. Rather than thinking about what that meant, I let my instincts take over, and parted my lips. Edward seemed surprised by my reaction, but I wasn't. I trusted Edward with every fibre of my being, and I knew that he wouldn't hurt me. The only thing that would hurt me in our more intimate moments was myself and my past. But Edward made me forget even that.

In the same careful manner, as though testing my reactions to his every movement, Edward moved his tongue passed my parted lips and invaded my mouth. While Jacob had forced me to kiss him, and he'd kissed me, he'd never kissed me like that. Apparently, that was a real kiss... It made me feel alive.

Pushing away all thoughts except those of the man in front of me, I moved my lips a little again, and let my own tongue meet Edward's. The kiss was perfect, gentle, slow, and passionate. Edward didn't try anything further than an intimate kiss, and his hands didn't stray anywhere except my face, back and hair.

After an immeasurable period of time, we pulled away from each other slowly. My eyes fluttered open, and I looked into Edward's beautiful, emerald eyes as he held me in his arms. His eyes were smouldering, and his lips slightly swollen. His hair was a lost cause, though this was nothing new. It was just even worse than usual.

"Bella-"

I pressed my lips simply against his once more, shutting him up.

"Don't even ask," I murmured, pulling away again, "I'd have stopped. You know that."

"I can't help asking Bella," Edward replied gently, brushing a lock of hair away from my face, "I need to know. I don't ever want to make you uncomfortable. Ever."

"You won't," I said, "Because you think too much. You wait. You're careful. I-" I cut myself off quickly. I'd been about to say 'I love you for that', but I wasn't ready for Edward to know how deep my feelings ran. "I'm grateful for that."

Edward nodded slightly in acknowledgement, but didn't say anything in reply as he held me in his arms, looking down at me, gazing deep into my eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered after a few minutes.

"What for?" I asked, puzzled.

"Being here for me all the time. Being you. Everything."

His words filled my eyes with tears.

It was with some relief that I entered the hall in which the trial would be held the following Tuesday. Not only because this battle would finally be put to rest, one way or another, but also because Charlie had informed me that Billy had decided to plead guilty. However, I suspected that there was something else up his sleeve. Billy never went down without a fight. Perhaps it was something to do with Jacob...

I glanced over at the lawyer Charlie had employed for my case, who was seated at the front of our box. Heidi Felix. She had, apparently, been incredibly helpful, and had built up a strong case against Jacob. As I wasn't a legal adult, I had had little to do with the preparations, and needed only to be present at the trial itself.

Heidi threw me a slight smile, and turned back to her papers. There were, of course, other people in the prosecution's box. Carlisle was there to testify as a witness and provide evidence, being my official doctor that had treated me - was still treating me - from the wounds inflicted by Jacob.

Charlie was standing beside me, as my legal guardian and the man in charge of my legal case. His face was set, and a little grim as he looked across at the defendants box. Charlie had briefed me about what would take place, and who did what. When I was allowed to speak, and when it was best to keep quiet. Apparently, I shouldn't speak in the opening statements at all, and only speak during the rest of the trial unless spoken to. I was not to let Jacob or his lawyer provoke me in any way.

Heidi had also told me what she'd expect Jacob's lawyer to say. They'd try to say that I'd egged Jacob on, or inflicted some of the injuries myself. As to what else would be said, I'd have to wait and find out. I had to admit, Heidi scared me a little. She was a lawyer, and that meant twisting the truth until it was almost a lie. This time though, she was telling the truth.

Best of all though, Leah was with me. Leah had decided that as Billy was about to be sentenced in court, she'd testify against the Blacks as a witness. I was incredibly glad to have her there, though she had to sit with Carlisle in the witnesses section of the prosecution box.

The judge, judge Aro, cleared his throat and called the jury to order. I wished, in that moment, that Edward was with me. I needed to feel his hand in mine, or his arm around my shoulders or my waist. I bit my lip hard, and wrapped my arms across my stomach in an attempt to calm my racing heart. Jacob shot me a smirk from his place, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

Both sides presented their opening statements. Heidi explained that the evidence would show that I'd been a victim of both child-on-child sexual abuse, sadistic rape, and child-on-child physical abuse. She threw Jacob a very dirty look as she sat down, which, I was glad to say, seemed to go unnoticed by Jacob.

Jacob's lawyer, who was, apparently, called Marcus Demitri, presented his own opening statement. He said that the evidence would show that I'd been encouraging Jacob, and that my visible injuries were after a violent sexual encounter, which I had also encouraged. He really was playing it up. Well, that was his job.

The jury was noting things down as we spoke, and judge Aro was watching the proceedings with a careful eye. He gave me a once-over, and then turned his attention to Heidi, telling her to begin presenting her evidence. There was no emotion in his dark eyes as he looked at me, and that set me on edge.

Heidi began by reading out the statement I had given to the police about my past, which made me flinch in places. She then called Leah forward, and Leah began to tell the court about how the entire population of the Reservation was sworn to secrecy about my abuse, and how nobody had dared speak out, for fear of what Billy would do to them.

"He'd gone so far over the edge anyway."

Her voice wavered a little, and she glanced back at me. She then, upon being asked by one of the jury, described one of the times I'd seen her since starting Forks High, baring the marks from the Blacks. She told the court of how Jacob had bragged to his friends about the things he did to me at home, and how I bent to his forceful wishes, and how he punished me if I didn't do what he told me to.

After thanking Leah, Heidi called Carlisle forward, who was our other major witness. Carlisle had seen my make-up wash off of my body that day in the garden, and he described it briefly, in an emotionless voice. He then explained my injuries in detached, clinical terms, and showed the court some scans he'd taken from time-to-time. He also showed the court how they pointed to me being abused. I had to admit, Carlisle was good.

After a nurse from Forks hospital, Mark - Charlie's deputy -, and a kid from the Reservation had spoken in my defence, Heidi concluded her evidence. Judge Aro nodded to her, and turned his attention to Marcus Demitri, who immediately began to shoot down the evidence we'd been given. He said that I'd been egging Jacob on, and that Jacob had boasted about the pleasure he got from his sexual encounters with me, not the forceful nature with which they were applied.

Some bastard from the Res. told the court everything Jacob had 'said' to him about our sexual expeditions, and backed up what Marcus had said. One of the doctors from the Res. said that my injuries could easily have been self-inflicted. Marcus went in to say that some of the injuries I had sustained that pointed to rape could have been due to my want for 'rough' intercourse.

Marcus concluded his evidence, and Aro turned back to Heidi. Heide began to argue our case, and repeated some of her previous points. Her eyes blazed as she spoke, and she really was persuading in the way she spoke, and in the pace at which she moved on her arguments. I saw a couple of the jury nodding as they noted something down. Hope bloomed in my chest. Perhaps we could win this.

Unfortunately, Aro them turned to Marcus to conclude his argument. He too argued his case, repeating bits of evidence and being far more accusing than he previously had. He basically called me a liar. He more or less said that I'd had sex with Jacob and regretted it, so I called the police and made up some ridiculous story about rape.

Snort.

Judge Aro then dismissed the jury to go and make a decision, which I knew had to be unanimous. The wait was full of tense silences and awkward glances. Once or twice, somebody would try to make conversation, but the replies were short and crisp. Nobody was really up to a conversation.

After a while, the jury returned, and said that they found Jacob guilty. This didn't come as much of a surprise to me, as he was guilty, but Jacob was outraged, and began to yell and shout. Of course, this did nothing to help his case. Judge Aro convicted him of child-on-child sexual abuse, child-on-child physical abuse and verbal abuse, and sadistic rape. It was a hefty list, and I hoped it came with a hefty sentence. I was right, as Jacob was sentenced to spend the years until he was eighteen in juvie, and then a further twenty years in prison after that, with a possibility of bail after fifteen.

It was with a far lighter heart that we left the court, and with a slight smile that I thanked Heidi. She smiled at me, and gave me her condolences about what had happened. Charlie had insisted on paying for my legal expenses - not that I had any choice, as I couldn't afford them - and money exchanged hands.

I turned to Carlisle, who hugged me gently. Leah too took her turn hugging me, and then a grin spread across her face.

"You won't be ale to get rid of me now," she said.

"What more could I wish for?" I asked with a laugh.

"Well-"

"That was rhetorical," I said firmly, not wishing to know what else I could wish for. Knowing Leah, it would be related to Edward. She grinned at me again, and we bid one another goodbye. I was warned that visits would become more often. I most definitely wasn't complaining.

About half an hour later, we were still just outside of the hall in which the trial had been held, talking to various people and discussing legal matters. I wanted a certain bronze-haired God to wrap me in his arms and kiss me. I wasn't interested in the precise laws surrounding Jacob's sentence. I knew that Edward would be worrying, like he always did, and him worrying worried me.

Sighing, I turned to Carlisle. I'd have spoken to Charlie, but he seemed to have disappeared.

"Carlisle, I'd really like to go now," I said, trying my best not to sound like a whiny kid.

"You can Bella," he said, looking mildly surprised.

"I haven't got any way to get back to Forks."

The trail had been held in Seattle, and Charlie had driven me down. Obviously, I couldn't walk home. Carlisle had only just started to allow me to walk around for more than an hour at a time, save for school. Apparently the physical injuries would take time to heal. I was beginning to wonder just how long.

"Edward's driving around somewhere. I told him he could take you back after the trial. Didn't Charlie tell you?" Carlisle asked, brow furrowing.

"No, he didn't. Thank you!" I called out as I turned away and headed out of the double doors.

I whipped my phone out of my pocket and hit Edward's number. It was, quite literally, a second later that he picked up. Clearly, he'd been waiting to hear from me for a long time. That made me feel slightly guilty, even though it wasn't my fault at all. I'd had no idea that Edward was driving around, waiting.

"Bella?"

"Edward," I sighed, feeling instantly better join hearing his voice, albeit his worried voice.

"Are you ok? Where are you?"

"I'm fine Edward. I'm outside the hall. I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, I had no idea you were even in Seattle."

Edward let out a relieved sigh at my words, and told me he'd meet me in a few minutes. We hung up, and I paced around for a few minutes, waiting patiently for Edward. Well, ok, I was waiting impatiently. I couldn't wait to see him. I ached to throw my arms around him, to feel him close to me...

"Well well well," sneered a voice from behind me.

I spun round, totally freaked out, to see a man that had completely escaped my mind for months. It was Creeper, from the first Forks High game I'd ever been to. Alice had warned me that he was not good news, and here I was, alone in Seattle with him in front of me. Damn.

Trying not to appear scared, I walked forwards and began to step past him, but he threw out an arm and prevented me from going anywhere. I spotted another couple of guys coming out of nowhere. One with long, black dreadlocks, but the other I couldn't see. Creeper grinned at me.

"Where are you going pretty?"

"Leave me alone," I said, trying to sidestep him again.

"Woah, come on now sugar, we just wanna have some fun!" the guy with dreadlocks said, tipping my chin up with one finger.

I flinched away from his touch and backed away, only to find myself surrounded by five or six guys, most of which had dark hoodies on, casting shadows across their face. It was weird. It was, what? Five o'clock in one of the busiest cities in Washington, and nobody had noticed that I was being herded around by a group of rather intimidating men.

It was then that I realised I had been manoeuvred into a dark, quiet side road, where nobody would spot me at a glance. Just as Creeper made a grab for my jacket, ripping it from my body, I let out a slight scream, and heard the sound of tyres on the pavement. I heard Edward call out my name, and I let out another shout, trying to get his attention with alerting the thugs around me.

I wasn't sure if I could survive another rape, after a few months of healing.

I heard the car door slam, and then saw Edward's Volvo roaring down the little road. Clearly, he'd heard my shout, and possibly my earlier scream. I nearly sobbed with relief, but reality reared its ugly head at that moment. What on Earth could Edward do against six men?

My question was answered when he continued to drive forwards, heading towards the men that surrounded me. They moved out of the way quickly, and Creeper threw me aside on the floor, just out of the way of the Volvo's path. I screwed my eyes shut until the car stopped, and I heard Edward climb out of the car.

He reached down and touched my shoulder gently. I opened my eyes, terrified, and obeyed him when he told me to get in the car. I slammed the door and threw my seatbelt on, shivering. Creeper had ripped off my jacket, and I was left in a short-sleeved shirt. I was freezing.

My discomfort was forgotten when Creeper and the guy with dreadlocks shouted at Edward, and grabbed his shoulder. Edward spun round and glared at them, looking truly frightening. I noticed that two of the guys had disappeared, and another two were lurking in the shadows, not trying to assist Creeper and Dreadlocks.

Edward turned around and walked towards the car, when Creeper threw a punch on his shoulder. Edward spun round and defended himself. I felt like a complete girl as I sat in the safety and the car and watched, aghast, while the two fought. I winced as Creeper caught Edward's face with his fist, but, somehow, Edward managed to fling himself into the car.

He threw the car into reverse and booked it out of the little road, ignoring the jeering shouts of the men behind us. I was breathing quickly from fear - fear slightly for myself, but mostly for Edward - and Edward's busted, bleeding lip and bruised cheek didn't go unnoticed.

Edward glanced across at me.

"Distract me," he said, driving far above the speed limit.

"Pull over," I said, my voice a little shaky.

"What?"

"Pull over," I repeated.

"We need to get as far away from those-"

"Pull over Edward," I said again, a little louder.

Pursing his lips into a thin line, Edward slowed down and pulled into a little clearing at the edge of the road that would take us back to Forks. There was no way I wanted Edward driving when he was so worked up, for both our sakes. It would only end badly, for all involved.

There was silence in the car for a few seconds, neither of us looking at the other. I found myself blinking back tears, and I wasn't sure why. Yes, the sudden attack had shaken me up, but other than losing my jacket, nothing had happened. Not to me. Perhaps I was upset about the fight between Edward and Creeper, but that was both a pathetically female and incredibly illogical thing to do.

Before I realised what was happening, my seatbelt had been unbuckled and I was cradled in Edward's arms, sobbing. Once again, I felt pathetic, but I was where I'd wanted to be all afternoon, since we'd first parted and I'd gone to the trial. Edward shushed me gently, and rubbed my back. After a moment, I pulled myself together and looked away from Edward, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"Bella," he murmured, tilting my face towards his gently, "Are you ok?"

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, hugging my form to his chest.

"What for?" I asked.

"Everything."

"Don't be. Jacob will be locked up for decades, as will Billy," I said, totally forgetting that I hadn't yet told Edward about the outcome of the trial.

"They've been sentenced?"

"Jacob has," I said, and explained briefly what had happened at the trial. Then something occurred to me. "Do you know that blond dude you were fighting?"

"The creepy one? That's James Trakker. I believe he's dating Victoria. Well, he was last time Tanya told me."

"Why did you come on your own? You could have told somebody inside the hall. Charlie, for instance. Then you wouldn't have got yourself hurt," I said, gently tracing the bruise on his cheek. Edward caught my hand and pressed a gentle kiss to my palm.

"I heard you scream. I swear to God Bella, I've never been so scared in my life. I had no idea what was happening to you."

I smiled.

"That's an incredibly chivalrous thing to do, albeit and incredibly stood one. Thank you."

It was Edward's turn to smile. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips, and then lifted me back over the console and seated me in my seat. He turned the car back on, and began to drive back home. He took my hand in his, and squeezed it gently. I squeezed his back, trying not to wince every time I caught sight of his slight injuries. I knew why Edward had seemed so shocked every time he laid eyes on me after my make-up was washed off and my injuries were uncovered.


	28. Chapter 27-Not Alone

**A/N**

**Once again, I must apologise for the massive time-skip in this chapter. I didn't really have anything else to add in between the last chapter and this one. You had your several chapters of happiness, love, and fluff, and now you've got all the drama coming your way! I must beg of you, don't shoot me at the end of this chapter. Please? Pretty please? **

**Enjoy, even if you do want to kill me!**

**Lucy xX**

_No more_

_No more are the days that I will_

_Fear for I have found a strength that_

_None can match and I'll push forward_

_Never has the blood in my veins_

_Flowed so fiercely as when I feel this around me_

_I am whole_

_I'm not alone with the touch of your hand _

_I am whole again_

_I'm not alone with the touch of your hand _

_I am whole again_

_Now I feel the passion burning_

_This what drives me further_

_Strengthens my resolve to push me further_

_Not Alone ~ All That Remains_

It was, in all honesty, the longest freaking week of my life. Two weeks after our Spring break, Victoria was still ruling the school, and Rose hadn't yet kicked her down from her spot as Queen Bee. I was becoming impatient. Particularly as she seemed to have got it into her head that she wanted Edward. Our little tiff at the Cullens' house was not a one time thing. She was making my life a misery.

Just to top off my fan-fucking-tactic few weeks, the Cullens had all gone down with the flu. I'd seen Alice and Rose on Saturday to go shopping, and had been on a date with Edward on the Sunday, and none of them had been in school on the Monday. Nearly bad as that, Kate had caught some virus, and was also off school.

Needless to say, Angela, Ben, Irina and I had been sticking close together. By the time Friday rolled around, I was ready to screw it. I'd spoken to Carlisle every day over the phone, who was the only one of his family not affected by the damned flu, and he sounded rough. He'd allowed me to speak to Edward a couple of times, and Edward told me, in no uncertain terms, not to come over. He'd said he didn't want me catching it.

While that was a remarkably sweet thing to say, it meant that I was suffering with serious Edward withdrawal. I becoming a bit of a grumpy bitch, and it took a lot of Ben's jokes to keep me alive. When walking down to the lunch hall with Angela on Friday, I spotted Victoria out of the corner of my eye, making her way towards us.

"Fucking kill me now," I snarled under my breath, "Just what I need. What the fuck did I do as a baby to deserve all this shit?"

Angela threw me a glance.

"It's not your fault Bella. You know that."

I sighed.

"I'm sorry Angela. I just-"

"So," sneered a voice that I really, really didn't want to hear, "Know where Edward is today?"

I gritted my teeth.

"As I've told you every other day this week, he's got the flu."

"Really?"

"Yes," I snapped.

"Look here Swan. I know that Edward likes you. Unlike Tanya, I'm not a blind bimbo as well as a bitch. I'm just a bitch. But trust me, he will be mine. I will get rid of you. I will destroy you."

"Really?" Angela asked, mimicking her tone.

"Has Swan not told you about her run-in with James?"

"Your boyfriend is a fucking creep!" I hissed.

"That's where you're wrong. James is," Victoria hesitated, as though looking for the right word, "Helpful. He wants you, and I want Edward. But it doesn't matter," she said, flicking her fiery red hair over her shoulder, "Edward will be mine."

I had to hold back the sarcastic retort I wanted to shout. Victoria really was a delusional bitch. Did she really think that getting rid if me would make Edward like her? Idiot. Apparently, she was a blind bimbo. Just one that was slightly more intelligent than Tanya. Not that it would be difficult to be more intelligent than Tanya.

"Breath a word of this to anyone, and you're fucking childhood will seem like a walk in the park."

She stalked off after smirking at me. Angela glared after her, muttering about how awful and delusional she was. I didn't listen to much of what my friend said though, as there was something bothering me, besides the fact that I believed every word Victoria said. How the hell did she know about the Blacks?

Biology was unexciting, and we watched some dull film about the genetic code. It was an interesting subject, but the film sent me to sleep. Had Edward been there, I'd have found some kind of distraction, but he was wrapped up in bed, sick as a dog, according to Carlisle. Apparently little Alice had got it the worst, and Rose being the hard woman she was, wasn't suffering too much.

I groaned as the bell rang, as it meant that I had gym. With Tanya. Although, Tanya hadn't been so bad over the past couple of weeks, shed been lying low. It seemed that she'd released her hold on Forks High completely, and was content with bitching to her few remaining followers about every, tiny thing. What the fuck ever.

As I walked to gym, I realised that my strangely grumpy and seriously bitchy attitude (mixed in with. Lot more swearing than usual) was not only to do with my week from hell. It seemed that all of the things I'd been through since I was a little girl had begun to catch up with me.

I pushed away the thoughts. I didn't want to talk to a therapist. I wasn't sure why I was so against it, but I was. I didn't want some stranger interfering with my business. Nor did I want to consider going to a therapist and have some irritating woman poke her nose where it wasn't wanted.

I forced myself through gym, and managed not to injury myself. I tripped over once, but gained only a bruised pride. Tanya had laughed at me, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. Emmett probably would have been disappointed that I didn't hit her or something, but I doubted it would do me any good.

At long last, the final bell of the day rang, and I rushed to get showered and changed. I wasn't sure why I was in such a hurry - I didn't have any friends to go and see. Well, I could have gone to see Angela, technically, but she was going out with Ben. I walked out of the gym and waved goodbye to my friends, then climbed into the truck that Charlie and Renee had bought me.

I turned on the radio and drove home, not at all surprised when it began to rain. I had to admit, I really wished that I could have had a meal cooked by Esme. Renee was a rather experimental cook, and was nowhere near as good as Esme. Although, she made a mean lasagne. Unfortunately, she was making some weird curry fro Charlie. I wasn't sure it would very nice.

I pulled into the driveway and slung my bag over my shoulder. I had done a mountain if homework the previous night, and was, consequently, exhausted. I hated doing homework over the weekend, though I had a load of math to do. If only Emmett were available to help...

Renee greeted me warmly as I walked through the door, and told me that Rose had called. She added that I'd left my cell on my bed that morning. I thanked Renee and told her that I was going upstairs to do some homework. After parting, I strode up the stairs and shut my bedroom door. I decided to get my math done first, and call Rose after.

It took me a while, but I was definitely getting better, thanks to Emmett's teaching. I was actually beginning to consider applying to Dartmouth. My grades could get me in, if I worked hard enough, and I knew that Edward wanted to go to Dartmouth. I wasn't sure I could survive four years without him near me.

I picked up my phone and saw the missed call. I hit the reply button, and held my cell to my ear. It took a few moments for Rose to pick up, and when she did, she didn't sound too great.

"Bella?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse and very tired.

"The one and only. How are you?"

"I swear Emmett is the worst patient ever," she groaned.

I laughed a little.

"Are you still sick?"

"Not really. My throat hurts, and I'm still coughing, but I'm fine. I can't say the same for everyone else."

I grimaced.

"Carlisle?"

"I swear that man is immune to everything. He's been in a house full of six people that had a bad case of flu, and he's fine. It's ridiculous."

"How's Alice?"

"She's not so great. Our symptoms have all passed their peak, but Alice is still feeling very rough. Carlisle has given me the job of looking after her for the last two days. Anyway, how are you?"

"Suffering from Cullen withdrawal."

Rose laughed.

"God, not even Emmett has joked this week. I haven't laughed since I saw you on Saturday. By Cullen, I'm assuming you mean Edward, specifically?"

"Yes," I admitted, "But I miss the rest of you as well."

"Whatever Swan. Victoria?"

With a sigh, I told her all about Victoria's threats that week, and her conversation with myself and Angela that afternoon. Rose also called her a delusional bitch, which caused me to grin.

"Trust me, Edward would rather not marry anyone than marry Victoria."

"That's reassuring," I said, half-sarcastically.

"It should be. I'm sorry, I've got to go."

"One more thing Rose!" I said, raising my voice a little for no real reason.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come over and see you? Please?"

I heard Rose sigh.

"Are you trying to get me into trouble with Edward?"

"Somehow I don't think he'd do much damage."

"I'll take that as a compliment. I suppose so, yes. Carlisle said that we shouldn't be contagious anymore, but Edward doesn't want to 'take chances'."

"Thank you Rose," I said, grinning like an idiot, "I'll be over in about forty minutes, ok?"

"Do I want to know why you're taking so long?"

"You'll see. Bye Rose."

"Bye Bella."

We hung up and I picked up my handbag, throwing my phone in as well as transferring my keys and purse over from my rucksack. I raced downstairs and told Renee that I'd be going over to the Cullens' place for a couple of hours, and that I was going to make them some brownies.

"Can they eat brownies when they're sick?"

"I've had the flu. Trust me, chocolate makes you feel a lot better."

Renee smiled.

"Are you going to stay there for dinner?"

Now there was an idea. I'd be able to escape Renee's experimental curry. Some of her food was pretty nice, but her curries were terrible. She done some weird smoked salmon curry one day, and I'd nearly been sick. It was worse than my attempt at sushi. Billy had been furious about that disaster.

"I might cook for them or something. Probably, yes. If not, I'll call you, and get something to eat at the diner on my way home."

"You sure? I could cook you some curry just incase."

"It's fine," I said as I poured the mixture into a couple of trays.

"Ok then. I'll see you later."

Renee kissed my cheek and headed into the living room to watch something. Renee worked as a kindergarten teacher, and was, consequently, home before I was. The same could not be said for Charlie, who had taken it upon himself to find out more about James Trakker after I told him of the incident in Seattle.

Half an hour later, the brownies were packed into a box, and I was pulling up outside the Cullen house. I took shelter from the rain on their porch, and then rang the doorbell. A tired-looking Carlisle answered it, Rose just behind him. He hugged me gently, as did Rose. When I was released, Carlisle spoke.

"It's good to see you Bella. It hasn't been a great week."

"For me neither," I replied.

"Emmett and Jasper are watching something in the den, but they've turned the light off. Alice, Edward Esme are asleep, I think," Carlisle said.

"Edward's trying to read," Rose corrected Carlisle, "And he's not happy."

"Who would be? He's got the flu," I said.

"He's not happy because you're here. He's being a drama King."

I smiled.

"Thanks."

"I'll be in my office if you need me," Carlisle said, touching Rose lightly on the shoulder.

The two of us made our way up to the den where Emmett and Jasper were looking sulky and watching some film. The brightness on the TV had been turned right down, ad the main light was off. They had, however, turned on a dim lamp in the corner. I felt incredibly sorry for them. They didn't look so cool.

"Hey you two," I said as I walked in.

"Bella!" Emmett exclaimed, grinning.

"Hey Bella," Jasper said, smiling.

"How's it going?"

With a loud groan, Emmett began to bitch and whine about everything that hurt. It came down to: everything hurt. Jasper was a little less dramatic in his answer, but did complain about the light a bit. I couldn't blame him. I didn't get sick very often, but when I did I wanted nothing more than to complain all the time. Of course, Billy wouldn't allow that.

"Go on Bella," Jasper said, "I know you want to see Edward."

I threw Jasper a grateful grin, and made to leave. Before I did so, I turned to Emmett.

"If you're up to it, I've left some brownies in the kitchen. I can make something for you to eat later."

Emmett's eyes lit up, and Rose and Jasper wore identical expressions of joy.

"We've been surviving on take-out. Dad can't cook at all. We all had cereal for dinner yesterday," Jasper said, wrinkling his nose.

"That sucks man," I said.

We bid one another goodbye, and I mounted the stairs that lead to Edward's room. I was slightly nervous about seeing him, worried that he'd be angry about me coming to see him, but I was more worried about my reaction to seeing Edward unwell. I didn't deal with people being sick very well, and Edward being sick? Who knew?

I knocked softly on Edward's door, and opened it a little. I heard a sigh from inside.

"What is it Rose?"

"Sorry to disappoint," I said softly, poking my head around the door, "But it's me."

Edward's eyes widened a little, and several, conflicting emotions flew through his eyes. Eventually, it was covered over by an emotionless mask. It annoyed me when Edward did that, but I felt too sympathetic to be angry with him. He didn't look good at all. He had dark bag under his eyes, which were a little bloodshot. His hair was exceedingly dishevelled, and several days worth of stubble had built up on his chin.

"Bella," he said at last, his voice croaky and rough, "You shouldn't have come."

"Thanks," I said, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"I do, which is why I'm not annoyed with you," I replied, looking down at him where he was laying back on his bed, head propped up on two pillows and a book in hand.

"I don't want you to get sick," he said.

"Carlisle said that you aren't contagious anymore. Besides, I don't get sick," I said, smiling a little.

"That's what I thought, but I still got this from Emmett and Alice."

"Edward, I'm staying whether you like it or not," I said, my voice soft.

"I know you are. God I missed you," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"I missed you too. Hearing your voice over the phone for two minutes wasn't enough."

"I couldn't agree more."

"How're you feeling?" I asked, needing to know.

"Not so hot," Edward said. After I raised my eyebrows, Edward told my briefly about his week, and his illness. He'd had a very high temperature and a seriously bad cough on Tuesday, but apparently these had both faded a little. He too complained abut bright lights and the lack of decent food. When I told him my plans to cook, and the batch of brownies, his eyes lit up.

"Will you be back at school on Monday?"

"I'll force myself to be. I won't survive another few days with Emmett."

I laughed and told him that Rose had said a similar thing. Edward nodded, smiling, but didn't reply. He was staring into my eyes, and I felt a blush rise up my cheeks at the intensity of his gaze, but I couldn't bring myself to look away from his smouldering malachite eyes. Edward lifted a hand and cupped my cheek. I leant into his touch and let out a sigh. I'd missed him so much it hurt. I said as much.

"You have no idea how glad I am you're here," he murmured.

"Believe me, I do."

Edward smiled crookedly, and then exploded into a fit of coughs. He yanked his hand away from my cheek to cover his mouth and nose, and turned his head away from me. I said nothing, but ran my hand gently across his back and neck, not allowing myself to get upset that Edward was ill.

In actual fact though, it bothered me a lot. It felt strange to be the one looking after Edward, and watching him be weaker and sick, and I didn't like it. It took everything in me not to flinch and wince as he coughed and choked, his body shaking and convulsing under my slowly moving hand.

"I'm sorry," Edward gasped as he flopped back on the pillows, running a hand over his face. He was obviously in some pain, but I knew that there was little I could do. Carlisle had almost certainly done everything medicine could do for his son, though I wished there was an instant cure.

"Hey, it's ok. It's not your fault you've got the flu," I said, running my hand through his hair slowly. Edward caught my hand and pressed a kiss to the bottom of my palm.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to have to kiss you."

"That idea has a lot of merit," I said.

"No, it doesn't. You'll be far more likely to get ill if-"

Rolling my eyes, I pressed my lips against Edward's. I felt Edward pull himself up a little so that he was in a sitting position, and then tugged me between his legs. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I wrapped mine around his neck, too holding too hard. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. It was my turn not to injure him.

After a passionate kiss that left my body on fire, and my breathing heavy, Edward asked me about my own week. When I mentioned Victoria, he was quick to assure me that he had no wish to go out with her. Ever. I had to admit, that made me incredibly grateful. I didn't really want to live in fear of Victoria stealing my guy.

A couple of hours later, I was serving up some chicken sandwiches and a salad. Carlisle had woken Esme and Alice, who greeted me with small smiles. Alice definitely looked the worst of the Cullens. I also put a pot of tea and a bottle of ginger ale on the table. Ginger ale had always stopped me feeling so sick and horrible.

"This beats take-out," Alice said quietly, "Thank you Bella."

"It's no problem," I said, "I had to escape Renee's curry somehow."

We chatted quietly over our food, and Edward clasped my hand under the table throughout the meal. He seemed loathe to let go of me. I most definitely wasn't complaining. It was almost physically painful not to be touching him, after spending five days apart. Esme seemed to be the only one to notice this, as she kept shooting smiles in our general direction.

I cleared the plates away, and offered the Cullens the brownies I'd made. My offer was greeted with enthusiasm, so I picked up a few bowls and a carton of cream. I'd found my love for brownies and cream while staying with Charlie and Renee, and was sure that somebody else would share my love.

I was right. Everyone but Emmett (who declared that cream ruined the taste of the chocolate) poured cream onto their brownies. I was told more than once that I was awesome, which made me smile, but blush. Edward took my hand again as soon as I sat down. He almost seemed worried that I was going somewhere.

I squeezed Edward's hand before I let it go to clear up again, trying to reassure him. He was definitely worried about something, and I'd be asking him after we'd finished chatting with the rest of his family. As we stood up and headed our separate ways, I texted Renee and told her that I'd text her when I left, and that I'd be home by eleven.

I slipped my phone into my pocket and allowed Edward to capture my hand as we walked up the stairs to his bedroom. We sat down in silence, drinking the other in. I really had missed Edward something bad. I doubted I'd have survived if I hadn't been allowed to come and see him that weekend.

"What's the matter Edward?" I asked at last, my voice soft.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You seem worried about something."

Edward sighed a little and pulled me into a hug. I'd missed being wrapped in Edward's arms more than I'd missed his kisses.

"It's silly, but being without you for a week made me feel like you're going to disappear. I don't know why. I don't know what I'd do if I woke up and realised that this is all a dream."

"Whatever you were doing before you met me," I said.

Edward shook his head slightly. I didn't understand, but I decided not to press him on the matter.

"Rest assured, I'm here, and I'm yours."

"I'm glad about that," Edward said, giving me another of his crooked smiles.

At that moment, my phone rang, breaking the gentle mood that had built up in the room. I fished around in my pocket and pulled it out. After turning the screen on, I saw that it was Charlie calling me. I frowned, and put the phone on speaker, allowing Edward to hear whatever it was as well. It couldn't be anything good.

"Charlie?" I asked as I hit the green button.

"Bella," Charlie sighed, "I need you to come home."

Immediately, I panicked, and clutched Edward's hand tightly. He rubbed soothing circles onto the back of my hand, and calmed me a little. What on Earth was going on though? Why did Charlie need me home? Had something happened to Renee? Was she hurt? Missing?

"Why? What's happened? Is it Renee?"

"No, Renee's fine," he assured me.

"What is it then?"

"Bella, Jacob is gone."


	29. Chapter 28-Don't Mess With My Man

_He told your ass not once but twice_  
_You should have took his advice_  
_And left the man alone_

_You still drive by here every night_  
_'Cause you're not wrapped too tight_  
_And you let your mind explode_

_You had your chance_  
_And you lost a good man_  
_I know it's sad_  
_Thinkin' 'bout what you had_

_If you was smart_  
_Keep that ass off my block_  
_Next time see me_  
_I won't be a lady, no, no_

_Don't mess with my man_  
_Don't mess with my boy_  
_Don't mess with my man_

_Don't Mess With My Man ~ Lucy Pearl_

Jacob was gone. It took my brain a few seconds to process the information, and when I did, I found myself trembling violently. Edward took the phone from my hand, and wrapped his arms around me. I wasn't sure why Jacob being free had shaken me up so much, but it had. I'd thought all the drama with the Blacks was finally over, but apparently I was wrong.

"What happened?" Edward asked Charlie, his voice level.

"That's just the thing. We don't really know. The judge pronounced Billy guilty, and the two Blacks were escorted out and to the cells in which they were to be temporarily held. Next thing we knew, I had a call from the Seattle Police department saying that Billy had assisted Jacob in an escape."

"Do you know where Jacob is?"

"He's done a runner. I think he'll lay low for a while, wait for us to let our defences down," Charlie sighed, sounding tired.

"What do we do until then?" Edward asked, before coughing again.

"I'll send out a few men to try and track him down, but I'm not going to lie, it's going to be hard. I highly doubt you'll have much trouble from him when you're in Forks. He wouldn't risk being caught again. I'd be more worried about going into Seattle."

"Then we won't go to Seattle," I said, speaking for the first time.

"Not on your own, at least. If Edward is with you..."

We spoke for a few more minutes, and Edward told Charlie that he'd have me home in a few minutes. We hung up, and I found myself shaking again. I really didn't know why I was so terrified of everything. Since I'd been rescued form the Blacks, things had been spiking me more. I didn't like it one bit.

Edward took me home, as he'd promised, and refused to let me drive, despite his tendency to cough every five minutes. Luckily, we got home without causing an accident, and I was wrapped up in a hug by Renee as soon as I got through the door. Edward bid me goodbye, and I asked if I could see him over the weekend. He accepted my request, and kissed me goodbye.

The next few days were not happy ones. I was becoming increasingly paranoid, and Victoria was making herself known again. Edward had seemed exceedingly preoccupied all through Monday afternoon, and wouldn't look me in the eye. Wen I confronted him about it, he admitted that Victoria had sent him a love letter. I was beyond furious. However, the prospect of a date with Edward on Wednesday evening brightened my mood considerably.

Edward picked me up at seven o'clock on Wednesday, and hour after my shift at the diner ended, and we drive into Seattle. Charlie had given us the ok to go, saying that Jacob wasn't in Seattle. They'd tracked him into Los Angeles, but had met a dead end. The search wasn't going particularly well.

As had become our custom, Edward didn't tell me where we were going, and I didn't ask. I'd been told to wrap up warm, and had happily complied. Thankfully, the Cullens seemed to have recovered from their bout of flu, and were all back at school. This did mean that Alice had dressed me up for the date, much to my distaste.

After a relatively long drive in Seattle, Edward pulled up outside a large, blue building, with a pair of skates pictured on the front. I turned to Edward, half horrified, half excited. He knew that I could barely walk over a flat surface without falling over, so he wouldn't take me ice-skating, surely?

"What're we doing?" I asked.

"Going skating," he replied, smiling a little, "I won't let you fall over."

Feeling incredibly nervous, I allowed Edward to pull me out of the car and into the centre. He paid for our tickets and asked for two pairs of skates. I gave my shoe size, and Edward gave his, and we were presented with four lethal-looking skates. I knew I'd end up causing some damage with those things.

We sat down and laced up or skates, and then I tried to stand. Big mistake. I wobbled, arms flailing, and was sure I was about to fall when Edward caught my waist and held me upright. He grinned at me, and moved his hand to take mine, leading me out towards the ice. The only thing preventing me from falling was Edward's hand.

As we reached the ice, I had a mini panic-attack.

"Calm down Bella," Edward said, squeezing my hand, "You're going to be fine. I won't let go of you. Ok?"

I nodded, and allowed Edward to lead me onto the ice-rink. As I put one blade on the ice, I felt myself begin to slide and panic again. Edward's grip n my hand tightened, and he took my other hand as well. Slowly, he began to skate backwards, pulling me along in front of him.

We moved around like that for a few minutes, slowly, Edward pulling me, and me getting used to being on the ice and trying not to fall over. Edward eventually suggested that I try skating for myself, but said that he wouldn't let go of me. Taking a deep breath, I began to move my feet a little.

"That's it," Edward said, nodding in approval, "Just walk."

It took me a while, but eventually I found myself skating, both hands in Edward's. He let go of one, and we skated side by side, talking quietly and casually. It really was a perfect moment. The low lights lit up the ice rink and shone down on the trees surrounding it. I was glad that Edward had brought me there, despite how worried I was that I'd fall over. However, everything was going well.

Grinning slyly, Edward took my right hand with his other hand and moved behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and suddenly I found myself spinning around quickly. I let out a little shriek as Edward twirled us around, and whacked his arm when we stopped spinning.

"Jerk," I said.

"Sorry," Edward said with a grin, not looking sorry at all.

"You could have given me some warning," I said, glaring at him.

"What, like this? Bella, I'm going to turn around."

Quickly, I grabbed onto Edward's lower arms as he spun us around not once, not twice, but three times, extremely fast. My head was spinning when we finally slowed down, and I'd have whacked his shoulder if I weren't still clutching on to him for dear life. Instead, I glared at him again.

"Are you trying to get me killed?"

"Not at all. You're just jealous of my superior talent," Edward said with a cocky grin. Arrogant bastard.

"My tendency to fall on my butt all the time is intentional you know," I said, rolling my eyes. Edward chuckled and took my hand again, allowing me to skate normally.

It was all going so very well. So well, that I should have known something would go wrong. The fact that I was on ice in blades should have given me a clue, but it didn't. Just as Edward told me that I was doing well, some dark-haired guy that was obviously the devil in human form decided to cut right across my path, causing me to fall over and land on the ice with a loud thud.

I swore quietly as pain shot up my arm, and Edward was at my side in a second. He stopped next to me and leant down, taking my hand gently in his. He looked at my wrist just as some worker in a bright green t-shirt skated up to us, asking if we were ok. Idiot. Clearly, his head was filled with sawdust. I was laying in the floor. No I was not ok.

"That wrist looks sprained," he said, nodding to the hand that Edward was cradling between his, "You should probably have it looked at."

"Sprained?" Edward asked, his voice horrified and his face blank.

"Yes. There's a hospital not far away from here, I-"

"I know where it is," Edward said, "Thank you."

The worker nodded to us and moved off. Edward reached down and lifted me up, walking me gently off of the ice. He didn't say anything as he sat me down on the bench, and then bent down on one knee to unlace my skates. There were gasps from women around us, and I heard a girly squeal come from one of them.

I blushed and rolled my eyes. Who on Earth would propose to somebody in that room? Full of other people and noisy children? It was hard to think of a less romantic place. Nevertheless, their reactions to Edward's kindness brought my easy blush to my face, and Edward threw me a questioning glance.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just no more getting down on one knee, please," I begged. Edward chuckled a little, and kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry sweet girl. About everything."

Edward looked truly traumatised about my injury, so I cupped his cheek and shook my head.

"It's not your fault Edward. I'm a klutz. It happens."

"It is my fault," he said quietly, "I shouldn't have let go of you when you fell."

"My hand was yanked from your grasp. Stop blaming yourself, please."

Edward sighed and said nothing, just heading to the desk to give our skates back. I sat on the bench, swinging my legs childishly. I went to check my watch, when I realised that I'd forgotten to put it on. Edward was taking one hell of a long time putting the skates back... Where the hell was he? Had he forgotten his girlfriend had sprained her wrist?

Just as the thought ran through my head, a loud whine to my right captured my attention. Standing with his back pressed against the wall was Edward, Victoria in front of him. Edward looked disgusted, and was shaking his head vehemently. Victoria ran her ruby red fingernails along his arm, and I stood up, mindless of the soaking wet floor and my lack of shoes. My boots were in Edward's hand.

"Victoria," I snapped as I reached her.

She smirked at me, and twisted her body so that Edward could push her away and escape. I was going to assume that Edward was being polite and trying not to hurt Victoria, as Esme had so clearly brought him up to behave around women. I didn't want to think that Edward wanted Victoria there. The look on his face clued me in.

"Hello there Swan," she sneered, "I was ju-"

"Look here Victoria," Edward spat, "You might not be scared of Bella, and you might have fun intimidating her, but you're definitely scared of me. Get lost."

Edward's expression was one of pure fury, and it scared me slightly. Shooting me a disgusted glance, Victoria stalked past me, knocking into my shoulder as she did so. She needed to learn not to fucking mess with my man. Despite what she wanted to think, she was no better than Tanya.

"I'm sorry Bella. Here," Edward said, handing me my boots. I slipped them on, holding onto his arm so that I didn't fall over.

Not saying a word, and seemingly wrapped up in his thoughts, Edward took my uninsured hand and lead me out of the building, towards his silver Volvo which sat in the car park outside. He unlocked the car and opened my door for me, before driving towards the hospital which was nearby. I took the chance to text Renee and tell her that I'd be home later than planned, and not to worry.

I glanced over at Edward, who was still sitting in silence. He was clutching the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles going white through his skin. I called his name twice, but he didn't seem to be able to hear me. Sighing slightly, I sat back in my seat and trained my gaze forwards to look at the dark, quiet road ahead of us.

Edward's POV

What kind of obnoxious, arrogant bastard landed his girlfriend in hospital after a date? The worst kind, said a horrible, snide voice in my head which had been around since I first saw Bella go down with a bang. Whatever she said, it was my fault that she'd gotten her wrist hurt. I could have held her up when that idiot bashed into her, but I didn't. So now we'd were sitting in a hospital, ice-pack on her wrist.

Bella shifted slightly next to me. She was sleeping lightly as we waited in the hospital, which was absolutely packed. Who knew that it could be so busy on a Wednesday night? I was considering just driving home to Carlisle, but the embarrassment would be too much. I'd already landed her in hospital, and I had a feeling my siblings would never let it go. Particularly Emmett.

Even just watching Bella sleeping did funny things to my insides. My stomach was doing backflips as I reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Unfortunately, the gentle movement woke her, and her eyes fluttered open. Idiot, I cursed myself. She blinked, looking slightly confused, and then she spotted me beside her.

"I'm sorry sweet girl," I murmured.

"It's ok," she said, yawning a little, "What's the time?"

"Almost midnight. Charlie is going to murder me for keeping you out so late. Mom wasn't impressed either," I said, wincing as I remembered my phone conversation with my mother as I told her what had happened. She'd been beyond furious, to say the absolute least.

"Don't worry," she said, "You'll survive."

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?" I asked.

"Yep."

I laughed slightly, but I knew it sounded half-hearted. Mentally, I was preparing myself for the worst. Bella had every right to yell at me, call me a dick-head, and ditch me on the spot. Hell, I expected her to. I'd been a twit. I felt like I should have been on my knees grovelling and begging for her forgiveness.

In true Bella style, she did none of those things.

"Thank you, by the way."

Was she kidding me? Had she hit her head?

"What the hell for?" I asked, gritting my teeth.

"The date. It was great. Until some idiot smashed into me. Which isn't your fault," she repeated, narrowing her eyes at me, "And for everything else. Being here for the past however long it's been since we met."

I didn't get a chance to ask her anymore, as the doctor called her in at that moment. I took her uninjured hand and lead her into the room, not wanting to be separated from her, despite my continued fears about her ditching my ass. I deserved it. God I deserved it. But, selfishly, I hoped Bella would give me another chance.

Bella had winced and flinched while the doctor in white scrubs had rotated and prodded her wrist and up her arm. Eventually, he had told her that it was sprained, and that he could give her some pain-killers and anti-inflammatory pills. She'd taken both, and had become a little... weird. She kept giving me this big, dopey grin. The doctor had also wrapped some stretching bandage around her wrist, and told her to keep it on for a couple of weeks.

"How long do those painkillers last?" I asked, glancing at Bella as she swung her legs from her position on the bed.

"A couple of hours, maybe more," he said, shrugging.

I nodded, and the doctor dismissed us. I went to help Bella up, though I knew she didn't need help. I went to take her hand, but she threw herself at me, wrapping both arms around my neck. I let out an 'oof' and stumbled backwards, nearly knocking over the doctor in the process. I managed to keep both of us upright, and wrapped an arm around her waist firmly, leading her out towards the car.

She began to shiver as we walked outside, and buried her face in the crook of my neck, rubbing her nose across my skin. I buckled her into the car, and shrugged off my jacket, throwing it around her shoulders. She smiled at me, but it didn't ease my feeling of guilt. Hell, nothing would ease my feeling of guilt.

"How the hell did I get so lucky?"she muttered as I slid into my seat. I turned to her.

"You're kidding me right?" I asked.

"No, why would I be?" she asked, looking genuinely confused.

"I just landed you in hospital. I royally screwed up. In what way does that make you lucky?"

"You did not screw up. You took me on an awesome date before somebody else landed me in hospital."

"But-"

"Edward," she said, interrupting me, "You're hot."

What? What in Earth did that have to do with anything? I had to admit though, it made my insides tingle to hear those words coming out of her mouth. It was the first time Bella had ever said anything to me about my appearance, and I had a sneaky suspicion that it was due to the painkillers she'd been given. Apparently, they were pretty strong.

"Thanks, but what does that-"

"Drop-dead gorgeous."

"Bella-"

"Smart, sporty, generally awesome."

I shook my head at her.

"And you're hot."

"Have you become one of those girls that dates for a guy's looks?"

"Nah, I'm not a shallow bitch. Those are just the bonuses."

"Right."

"Edward, I mean it," she said softly, "The date was fantastic, and none of this is your fault. Even if it was, I wouldn't really care."

"What? Why?" I asked, utterly bewildered.

"Because I-" she stopped, then continued again, "Because you're you. You make me feel better just by looking at me, you make me feel like I matter. You understand when I need silence, or if I need somebody to listen, and you seem to know what I want to say without me needing to say it. You're my saviour, in every possible way."

A smile spread across my face at her words. She did matter, and she needed to know it. Quickly, I unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted her over the console so that she was straddling my waist, then kissed her in the way I'd been wanting to kiss her for so many days, weeks, months.

It was a kiss of complete and utter possession. I moved my lips against hers, and our tongues met and tangled, evoking feelings inside if me I didn't even realise I had. I'd never kissed Tanya like that and felt what I felt in those minutes, sitting in a car with Bella above me, her petite fingers buried in my hair.

She raked them through my locks, causing me to let out a low growl. I moved my hands down from her hair to her hips, and began to trace small circles over her hip bones, which still protruded more than they should. Immediately, I pushed the thoughts away, submitting to the feelings I was experiencing.

After what felt like centuries, we pulled away from each other, both breathing heavily. Bella smiled widely at me, and I felt my face split in two as I answered her with my own grin. Carefully, I placed Bella back into her seat, and we began to drive back. Though I was terrified of what Charlie would say to me when we got home, I was far too caught up in the flips my stomach was doing.

As it was, Charlie had just laughed when he heard what had happened, and told Bella that she was a klutz. At the time, Bella was still drugged up, so she hasn't minded too much. Clearly, she'd forgiven me for what had happened, as I got a text on Saturday morning asking me if I was available to go out. Like I'd say no?

Deciding to drop off at the shops to buy her some flowers (guys do that for their girls, don't they?), I threw on my jacket and slipped my wallet into the pocket of my jeans. I texted her and said that I'd be with her in half and hour. I got a smiley face back, and that little thing filled me with a lot of warmth.

I told Esme and Carlisle where I was going, and they nodded. I jumped into my car and made my way towards the florists, which wasn't too far away from Bella's house. I drove fast, as usual, as I didn't want to be late, and bought Bella a selection of flowers, which I thought she'd appreciate.

I smiled at the girl on the counter and thanked her, then disappeared back out to my car. Just before I reached it, I made the mistake of looking down to fiddle with my keys. I unlocked the car, and then looked up to see my way blocked by the unmistakable form of James Trakker.

Well I was fucked...

"Well well well," James sneered, "Look who we've got here."

I said nothing.

"Give me your fucking phone," he snapped.

Not wanting to get myself shot or something, I handed my phone over with some reluctance. As soon as it was in his grasp, James snatched it from my hand and threw it to the floor, stamping on it once. There went a lot of Carlisle's dollars. Somehow though, I doubted that was the worst of my problems.

"Move away from the car," he ordered, brandishing a knife, "And if you make a fucking noise I will not hesitate to use this."

Not liking the way the whole situation was going, I moved away from the car, holding my hands where he could see them. Somehow, I had to get away from that nutter. I lashed out, my foot making contact with James' calf, and was rewarded with a howl of pain coming from him.

Unfortunately, I'd taken only two steps when I felt a hand on my shoulder, spinning me around to face James. He smirked at me, and whacked my head with his fist. I let out a cry at the pain, and saw black spots covering my vision. I felt my body go heavy, and I fell down, my knees hitting the pavement with a loud thud.

My last thought before blackness engulfed me was of Bella...

**A/N**

***ducks rotten fruit and other hopefully-blunt objects being thrown***

**Yeah yeah, I know. Another cliff-hanger. Only this one is a bit worse than the last one. I only hope that you won't hunt me down and bang on my window in the dead of the night, holding up guns and threatening my life. Just remember, I believe in HEA, my characters just tend to take a while to get there. After all, our favourite couple have proclaimed their love yet. *smirks***

**Next update will be slower, but I've updated quickly over the past couple of days.**

**Lucy xX**


	30. Chapter 29-Abducted

**A/N**

**You may have noticed that I've begun to name chapters after songs? Well I have. I've also started to write down some of the lyrics. At least, those relevant to the story! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm going to say that there will be two or three chapters left, and an epilogue.**

**Enjoy!**

**Lucy xX**

_Suddenly, I was in another room_  
_Terrified_  
_Cannot scream, cannot move_  
_Paralyzed with fear_  
_Where am I?_  
_Why is it happening to me?_

_Some say "It's the chosen one"_  
_What's going on?_  
_They can't fool with the light_  
_I knew they would come_

_I must have fainted_  
_'Cause when I woke up_  
_They were all gone_  
_What's going on?_  
_No!_

_Now, when I look back,_  
_I remember_  
_I could not move or scream_  
_The fear_  
_I lost all feeling_  
_Will they ever leave me alone?_

_I must have fainted_  
_'Cause when I woke up_  
_They were all gone_  
_What's going on?_

_Abducted ~ Hypocrisy_

Edward's POV

I awoke in a cold, dark room, with a pounding headache. I opened my eyes, but promptly realised that I'd been blindfolded. Fucking great. I felt something wet, sticky and viscous trickle down the side of my face, and make a faint 'splat' sound as it dropped onto the floor. Blood. I was bleeding.

Oh yeah. James.

He'd knocked me out with a single blow from his fist. Dude was stupidly strong. I wondered, momentarily, how I'd managed to get myself and Bella out of that alley in Seattle, and yet I'd allowed myself to be captured at a florists, where there were people. But in Seattle, adrenaline had been coursing through my veins as I thought of Bella's safety.

I tried to raise a hand to touch the wound on my right temple, which had begun to throb painfully, and found that my hands were tied. I really was rendered useless. James had clearly planned this. There was no way he, with a brain the size of a pea, had thought of blindfolding me and tying up my hands. That would require him to have grown his second brain cell, which, clearly, he hadn't. The guy was dating Victoria Hunter for pity's sake!

What the hell did James want with me? I answered that question for myself, about half a second after it had first crossed my mind. Victoria. This had to have something to do with that heinous bitch. I had no real quarrel with James, except perhaps the incident in Seattle. Sure, I hated his guts, but so did everybody else that knew who he was. I was nothing special from that perspective.

Then my thoughts turned to Bella. What was she thinking? How long had I been gone? Did she believe I had deliberately forgotten our date? Was she angry with me? My heart began to race. Was she alright? Had James hurt her too? I was tempted to call out her name, to see if she was with me, but I doubted even James would be stupid enough to leave us in a room together.

Just as I began to think of ways to get myself out of wherever the hell I was, I heard footsteps nearing me. Was there somebody else in the room? No, I thought, as I heard a lock slide across and a door creak open. I sat still, trying to look like I was still asleep, but I was sure whoever was entering the room saw through my façade.

I felt a rough, calloused hand reach up and tug the blindfold off of my face. I blinked several times as the material was ripped off, and squinted slightly. I'd been wrong. The room was incredibly bright, but the blindfold had been incredibly thick, and had therefore blocked out all of the light.

I looked around the room. We appeared to be in some kind of little, square wooden hut, no more than five or six metres across and along. I could see that the room was square, and there wash coal fire in one corner, about three metres to my left. The floor was tiled, and the walls painted a dirty yellow colour - almost mustard. It was revolting décor.

An old-looking table and two chairs were positioned a few feet in front of me, not far from the far wall of the hut. A grey, ripped jacket was thrown across one of the chairs, which I assumed belonged to James. There was very little else in the room, but a window was fitted into the left-hand wall, which enabled me a view of the forest beyond. Great. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with a nutcase.

I allowed myself to look up at whoever had taken off my blindfold, and was unsurprised to see James Trakker leering at me. He tilted his head to the side, and regarded me with a strange, animalistic expression. It was far more scary than his scowl or his glare. He almost looked inhuman.

"Well well," he sneered, "Look who's awake."

"What do you want with me?" I snarled, struggling pointlessly against the tight ropes, causing them to cut into my wrists. I felt the scratchy surface break my skin and draw blood, which trailed down to my fingertips. I tired my best to ignore the stinging sensations, and glared up at James.

"Oh I think you know that I don't want anything. Well, a chance to hurt somebody that made me look like a fool never goes amiss..."

I stared at him. He really was delusional. Fucking bastard. He thought I'd made him look like a fool in Seattle? No, I'd just made him look like a cruel, heartless, creep. Which he was. Clearly, his 'friends' hasn't realised that. Or perhaps they were just as bad as James... I considered spitting at him. The idea had merit, but it seemed more than a little childish, and I doubted he'd be too happy with me.

"Going to talk Cullen?" James asked.

I said nothing.

"No?" he asked again, brandishing a long, lethal looking knife.

Again, I said nothing. It felt like a small victory to defy him, even if it meant that I was probably endangering my well-being and my sanity. Possibly my life. Really, I doubted I'd get out of there in perfect health anyway, so getting myself cut a little was worth it for the satisfaction I got by being disobedient.

"I mean it," he growled, jabbing the tip of his knife into the flesh at my neck. It pierced the skin slightly, drawing a little blood, but otherwise not harming me.

"That's enough James," said a cold, deadly voice from the doorway, "I want him in good health for what I have planned."

I felt the blade of the knife being removed from my neck, and I let out a silent sigh of relief. I didn't really want to die in a place that smelt like somebody had died in it. Pardon the pun. That would have sucked. Majorly. And to die at the hand of James... Ugh. A shudder ran through my body at the very thought.

I looked up to where the voice had come from, and saw a familiar face. Victoria. Her red, curly hair was in disarray, making even my hair look tame. Well, usually. It probably looked like a bird's nest at that moment in time, but whatever. Her green eyes flashed as they swept over my body, and a small, tight smile appeared on her face, the corners of her lips curving upwards.

"Edward," she murmured in a voice that was, presumably, meant to be seductive.

Insert disgusted noise here.

"Edward," she breathed again. She glided over to where I sat, and knelt in front of me, her eyes raking every inch of my body. She reached out a hand to touch my left temple, which had stopped bleeding more than a tiny bit. I flinched away from her touch, revolted by the idea of her touching me in any way, shape, or form.

I wondered, suddenly, if that was how Bella had felt through the majority of her childhood. Disgusted, terrified, on the verge of screaming... Perhaps even crying. I had no idea how she'd survived those eleven years of hell. The thought of Victoria touching me had me wincing and flinching, but the thought of being raped... I couldn't even go there.

My poor, poor girl.

"What the fuck do you want from me?" I asked, my voice a little hoarse from not speaking for... well, however long it was.

"I think you know what I want," she whispered, running one long, pale finger down my cheek.

"No," I snapped, yanking my head back and causing in to collide painfully with the wall behind me. Shit that hurt... "Perhaps you'd fare to enlighten me?"

She laughed, and I caught the glare of James behind her. He was glaring at her. What?

"I want you, Edward. Surely your pathetic girlfriend told you why I'd hung around with Tanya for as long as I did? To get myself closer to you."

"You have a boyfriend," I pointed out.

"You know that this will only happen once. I will kill you after I'm done with you," she whispered, "And I'll go back to James."

"And then I'll hunt down your slut for my own personal pleasure, and then enjoy every slow, torturous minute I spend killing her," James sneered from the back of the hut.

I saw red. He did not just call Bella a slut! How dare he? How dare he even consider laying one of his filthy, lying fingers on her innocent, beautiful skin? Before I knew what I was doing, I was screaming out profanities and thrashing around where I lay, trying to get up at hit James. Make him rue the very day he was born...

"Oh no Cullen," James hissed, grabbing me around the neck and slicing vertically down my arm with his knife.

I cried out in pain, and then remembered something Bella had told me one day as we watched a film. 'Being silent helped the pain'. I closed my mouth and bit down on the side of my cheek, drawing blood. My tongue rubbed away the salty, coppery-tasting liquid, and I tried my best to to scream out as James jabbed two fingers down on the cut he'd just made, causing it to hurt far more.

"James," Victoria said sharply.

Looking irritated, James moved away from me, throwing both myself and Victoria a cold glare. I shuddered, and wanted to gently press a cloth over the gash on my arm, but knew that my hands were tied behind my back. I realised that as I'd been thrashing, the ropes had cut further into my flesh, and my finger were now slick with my own blood. My stomach lurched at the thought.

"Unless," Victoria said, continuing her previous explanation as to what she wanted with me, "You agree to be with me forever, and to ditch that bitch, Swan."

I thought about it for a second. James had threatened to hunt down Bella and kill her for his own, personal pleasure, and there was nothing Victoria could do about it, even if she wanted to. But, if I left Bella, neither of us would be hurt, except our hearts. Well, I assumed that Bella would be hurt by my departure, but I was never sure.

Then again, what was to say James wouldn't kill Bella anyway? Even if I did go with Victoria, James would still want to hunt down Bella and kill her, though for what reason I had no idea. So what was the point of living on with Victoria when Bella was dead? I may as well die.

Suddenly, I felt exceedingly nauseous. Whether I survived this shit or not, it seemed that James would go to hunt down Bella and kill her. Somehow, I had to warn somebody, I had to stop her being tortured and murdered... But how could I? I was trapped. It seemed absolutely impossible. Unless the police were it turn up, which seemed unlikely. Bella would be hunted by James. Instantly, I threw up the few remaining things in my stomach.

"Never," I said, my voice cracked and incredibly dry.

"What?" Victoria asked, looking both incredibly surprised and utterly aghast.

"Never," I repeated.

"For the chance to save that bitch? And your own life?"

"James will hunt Bella down anyway. If my survival doesn't guarantee hers, what's the point?"

"Edward Cullen," she whispered, "You have just made the biggest mistake of your life."

I reached up a shaking hand to wipe the blood off of my cheek where James had drawn a ragged line down my face with his knife, bit Victoria's hand lunged out and grabbed it before I could do anything. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit her, despite being brought up never to hit a girl. I wanted to find my Bella, to wrap her tiny body in my arms, and to never, ever let go.

I wanted all this shit to be over with.

Now.

Preferably before James and Victoria killed and gutted me.

And Bella.

Once again, I felt my stomach twist in clench in fear. They couldn't hurt Bella. They could do whatever they liked to me, if it meant keeping her safe. Unfortunately, it didn't mean keeping her safe. The only hope I had, the only hope we had, was that somehow the police would find James and Victoria, and soon.

I let my head fall back against the wall, and tried, surreptitiously, to loosen the ropes that bound my hands again. I'd been trying to do it for the last, well, it felt like several hours, but it could have been any number of days or minutes, but had served only to keep the blood flowing down my fingers, making the job more difficult as my fingers slipped around in my own blood.

"Start cleaning up this shit," James barked suddenly, "And don't even think of doing anything stupid."

I bit back an angry retort, and waited for him to untie my hands. It became clear he wouldn't.

"How the fuck do you want me to clean when I've got my hands tied up?" I snapped, "I can't even stand up.

James growled low in his throat, and moved towards me. He yanked me up by the neck of my shirt and spun me around roughly, making my stomach lurch. I was absolutely starving, and felt weak on my feet. I hadn't paid much attention to the darkening and lightening of the forest outside, so I had no idea how long I'd been there.

James snarled when he saw my hands. Guess he'd realised what I'd been doing. He cut the ropes off, and turned me around again, before getting right into my face. Up close, James was even more disturbing and animalistic. What appeared like light stubble was actually thick and wiry, grease covering it. He had a faint scar running down the length of his cheek, which looked like just a smear of dirt from afar. His teeth were yellowing, and his upper lip curled back as he snarled.

"What the fuck have you been doing with your wrists?"

"Nothing. They were tied up."

James let out a roar and slapped me, hard, across the cheek.

"You were trying to loosen those knots. Don't deny it."

I assumed that confirming or denying what he said would end badly, so I stayed silent. It seemed the correct thing to do, as James merely grunted and told me to get on with it. I found a broom propped up at the side of the room, and saw that newspapers, cans, packets, and cigarettes now littered the floor. I'd been so observant during my hours of captivity.

Note the sarcasm.

As I swept the items that littered the floor into a pile, I realised that Victoria wasn't there. When I asked James where she was, I just got 'out' as my short, cold reply. I rolled my eyes at James when he turned back to his newspaper, cigarette in hand, and continued to sweep things up. I tried to see the date on James' paper, but he was sitting just so that I couldn't catch it.

I was tossed one of those black, plastic bin bags, and I began to pile the trash into it. My entire body ached, and I had stomach cramps from not eating for so long. At least, I assumed it was a long time. I didn't really know. Just as I was about to ask James what to do with the bag full of his and Victoria's rubbish, there was a loud bang from outside, and I heard a car pull up.

James rushed to the window, and turned back to me, swearing.

"Get out and into the car Cullen. If you don't, I swear to holy hell I will make it my mission to hunt down and murder your fucking girl and force you to watch."

I stared at him for a moment. Obviously, it was somebody James didn't like outside. But who? I didn't have time to ponder it, as I was shoved out of the door, causing me to stumbled down the single step and twist my ankle painfully. I winced as I felt the muscles pull and tear, but didn't have time to wallow in self-pity, as James was pushing me away from the hut.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the unmistakable head of Charlie Masen as he climbed quickly out of an SUV. Not really thinking, I cried out to him, and his head snapped to mine. I knew that I was almost completely hidden by James' body, but I hoped that Charlie would be able to see who I was.

"Edward!" he shouted. He motioned to his men, who all began to shout and bark at each other. Amidst the chaos, I spotted a wisp of wavy, chestnut hair, hidden behind in the car that Charlie had climbed out of. I hoped to the heavens above that it wasn't who I thought it was.

James cursed me, but began to run, dragging me with him. I knew that trying to get to the police would be foolish with James so close to me, so I ran with him as best I could on my painful ankle, and wished that the police would get to me. Quickly. I couldn't survive that running forever.

James turned sharply left, giving me a clear path to the police, if I were to do a one-eighty. I didn't have time it think about the pros and cons, and decided to go for it. I pivoted round on my good foot, and began to run back towards the police. A hand lashed out from behind me to grab me, and I fell forwards, my shoulder yanking painfully.

"Not so fast you bastard," James hissed, holding me tightly.

Adrenaline and rage coursed through my veins, and, shooting him a disgusted glare, I yanked myself free of his grasp and ran forwards. Again, I tripped, this time over my own feet and the uneven forest floor, but was this time caught by a tall, dark-haired man I recognised as Mark, Charlie's deputy.

"I've got you son," he said, "Get over to the cars."

I nodded at him once, and tried not to listen to what was going on behind my back. I didn't want to hear James shout, or the police argue with him. I just didn't want to know. I made my way towards the car that Charlie had climbed out of, and flopped against the hood, gasping for breath. Running like I had with no food, blood-loss and a bruised and battered body was not easy, and had hurt a lot.

"Edward?" I heard an unmistakable voice ask.

Bella.

Sweet God.

Why on Earth was she here?

"Bella?" I called out, my voice croaking.

"Edward!" I heard Bella cry.

Before I knew what was happening, my arms were full of Bella, just as I'd wanted them to be for however long I'd been held captive by James and Victoria. I wrapped my arms around her and buried my filthy face in her strawberry-scented hair. I took in several long, deep breaths, and tried to calm my breathing. If I weren't careful, I'd end up crying. I couldn't cry in front of Bella.

"Are you ok?" she asked, pulling away from me slightly and tracing one finger down my cheek, which was covered in grim and filth.

"All the better for seeing you," I said, my voice wavering a little.

"I'm sorry Edward," she whispered, "If I hadn't-"

"Stop," I said, my voice hoarse, but demanding nevertheless, "None of this is your fault. I promise you-"

Several things happened in exactly the same second, all of which cut me off. First, Bella's face froze, and she looked over my shoulder, looking utterly shocked and horrified. Second, there was a loud, sharp bang, which cut through the air, Bella let out a scream, and I felt a horrible, searing pain in the back of my shoulder. I felt blood pour down my arm by the bucket, and I let out a strangled gasp, my knees buckling.

Bella caught me, tears streaming down her face, and she lowered me to the ground at her feet with the utmost gentleness. The pain in my shoulder increased, and I let my eyes close, blackness beginning to engulf me. They opened again when I felt my head and shoulders being laid in Bella's lap a split second later.

I gazed up into her deep, chocolate eyes, wanting to take away the pain held in them. I was vaguely aware of voices around me, asking me to talk, or to keep my eyes open. But it was all too difficult. As the blackness began to surround me again, the pain lessened somewhat. I began to numb, and a soft smile spread across my face.

"He's going into shock!" I heard somebody yell, "We need to get him to a hospital! Get Trakker into another car! Go, go, go!"

More tears slipped down Bella's beautiful cheeks, and I itched to wipe them away, and to assure her that I'd be ok. After all, it didn't even hurt. So it couldn't be that bad, surely? My mind was fogging a little, and I heard Bella calling out my name, but it was like listening to her through water.

"Stay with me Edward!" she cried as my eyes slipped shut.

But I couldn't.

It was too painful.

Blackness was numb.

James had shot me.

**A/N**

**Once again I'm going to duck all of the flying objects, and hope that I don't get any knives or forks or pencils flying my way... Anyway, let me have it gang!**

**Lucy xX**


	31. Chapter 30-When You're Gone

**A/N**

**There will be one more regular chapter after this, and an epilogue, and we're done. The title of this chapter is the name of one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite artists - Avril Lavigne! I'd linked the video on Wattpad (my username is the same, if you're interested) but you could look it up on YouTube - this chapter can become a little emotional if you listen to it as you read!**

**I hope you enjoy it, and this time, I haven't left you with a cliff-hanger!**

**Lucy xX**

_I always needed time on my own_  
_I never thought I'd need you there when I cry_  
_And the days feel like years when I'm alone_  
_And the bed where you lie_  
_Is made up on your side_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take_  
_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_  
_The pieces of my heart are missing you_  
_When you're gone_  
_The face I came to know is missing too_  
_When you're gone_  
_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_  
_And make it OK_  
_I miss you_

_I've never felt this way before_  
_Everything that I do reminds me of you_  
_And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor_  
_And they smell just like you,_  
_I love the things that you do_

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take_  
_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

_When you're gone_  
_The pieces of my heart are missing you_  
_When you're gone_  
_The face I came to know is missing too_  
_When you're gone_  
_The words I need to hear to always get me through the day_  
_And make it OK_  
_I miss you_

_When You're Gone ~ Avril Lavigne_

Bella's POV

I snarled loudly as my phone went to voicemail. Again. I threw it across the room in frustration, wincing at the sound it made when it connected with the wall. I groaned and picked it up, glad to see that it had sustained no damage, and checked my texts again. Once again, I let out a stream of profanities.

What the fuck was Edward playing at? I'd asked him if he'd wanted to go out, and he told me he'd be over in half an hour. That was two hours before I began abusing my phone. I was beyond furious. If he'd decided to go back to Tanya, or to switch to Victoria or whatever, so be it, I'd let him go, but he could at least have the curtesy to tell me, surely?

"Bella?"

My door clicked open gently, and Renee poked her head around it. I sighed, and sat back down on my bed. Tentatively, she walked over to me and sat down on my left, before asking me what had me so angry. Quietly, while picking at the threads of my jeans, I told Renee that Edward wasn't returning my texts or calls, and that we'd arranged to go out.

Renee looked worried at the end of my explanation.

"Have you tried Carlisle or Esme?"

Huh. I hadn't thought of that. I shook my head, and hit Carlisle's number.

"Hello Bella? Everything ok?"

"Ye- no, not really. Is Edward with you?"

"No," Carlisle said, "He said he was going to the florists and then going to yours. What happened?"

"He never turned up, and he's not answering his phone," I said, worry seeping into my voice. In my blind anger, I hadn't considered the possibility of something happening to Edward. And because of my stupidity, something bad could be happening to him at the very moment I spoke with Carlisle on the phone.

Carlisle sucked in a sharp breath from his end of the phone.

"Hold on Bella, I'm going to call Charlie. Can I call you back in a moment?"

After replying with the affirmative, I hung up and waited for Carlisle to call me back. Renee held my hand loosely, and I stared at the screen of my phone, awaiting the call that would bring either good, bad, or very bad news. And so began the longest, most stressful few days of my entire life.

I felt tears well up in my eyes as I stared at the place Charlie believed Edward had been kidnapped. And apparently, he'd been kidnapped by James Trakker, as he'd dropped a credit card on the floor, which had been identified quickly. It seemed, unfortunately, that there had been violence.

Edward's cell lay on the floor, smashed into pieces. Emmett had made a half-hearted joke about the money wasted, but not a hint of a smile had crossed his face. All of the Cullens looked truly miserable. Even more so as there was a little blood on the floor, which we guessed was Edward's, as James had obviously got him.

The silver Volvo was still parked in it's place, looking incredibly, painfully normal. Nothing at all about the car showed that there had been a struggle, she for the lack of a driver and the yellow and black police tape around it. A bunch of flowers had been dropped by the driver's door, which were slightly crumpled.

I felt the tears in my eyes spill over as I saw them, and bent down to retrieve them. They were beautiful, and exactly the kind of thing I appreciated. Edward had gone to get me flowers, and had, consequently, been kidnapped. Tough I knew it was illogical, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty for everything that had happened.

The police had no idea where to start. James' parents were, conveniently, out of the country, and Victoria's parents refused to tell the police where she was. Charlie had decided that Victoria was a good place to start, as not only did she have links to Edward and motives, however stupid, to have him kidnapped, she was dating James.

Unfortunately, this got us no where. The florist, a pretty young girl of nineteen or so, had been exceedingly unhelpful. She was clearly an air-head, and claimed to know nothing of the kidnap. Either she was deaf, or very, very unobservant. Or, possibly, both. Either way, she was annoying as fuck, and I wanted to slap her.

My boyfriend was gone.

I wanted him back.

Now.

I stayed over with the Cullens that night, just to wallow in self-pity, pity and worry for Edward. Ok, scrap it, mostly just absolutely terrified for Edward. I didn't want to think another what was happening to him at that moment, but I couldn't help imagining it. What if James was torturing him? Or Victoria was threatening him, hurting him?

The by idea made me sick.

It was a full twenty-four hours after Edward's disappearance that I received a phone call from Charlie. It roused me from my nap, and I licked it up quickly, putting it on speaker so that everybody else could hear. Charlie sounded weary when he answered, and I assumed it was because he'd been working for so long, trying to find Edward. I wished I could be of more help, rather than stuck in a house.

"Hi Bella."

"Charlie?"

"We've got a lead, but it may turn into nothing," Charlie said, sighing, "A young man matching Trakker's description was spotted near a petrol station in Port Angeles. Apparently he was heading for the National Olympic Park. He could be hiding out in the forest somewhere."

"Charlie," Jasper said, his voice business-like suddenly.

I had the distinct impression that he was about to say something important. Jasper was the quietest Cullen, but what he did say was usually important.

"I've been thinking. This is probably all for Victoria. James doesn't really have a problem with Edward, except the thing in Seattle, but I doubt he'd kidnap him over that. Victoria... Well, to be blank, she wants Edward. Body and soul. I'm going to guess that James has kidnapped Edward for Victoria. And trust me, Victoria is not going to do whatever she plans on doing with Edward on the forest floor. She wouldn't sink that low."

There was silence on the other end for a moment, and I took the opportunity to think about what Jasper had said. It made effect sense. Victoria wanted Edward's body, and there was no way she would... well, do whatever... on the floor of a filthy forest. She was more likely to do it in a hut or something...

"Do the Hunters or the Trakkers own any of those hut things in the forest?" I asked.

"Possibly. I'll look into it. Thank you for your help you two. I'll get back to you if we find out anything else."

Charlie made good on his promise, and, sixteen hours later, was ringing us up again, waking us this time from where we'd all fallen asleep on sofas, and, in Emmett's case, the floor. Even Carlisle and Esme had fallen asleep, wrapped together, on the love-seat. I felt incredibly out of place and lonely as I looked around at the sleeping couples. My other half was missing, and it hurt like hell.

I picked up my phone, fully waking the others, and put it on speaker again.

"Hi again," Charlie said, "You were right. The Hunters own a place near Port Angeles. I'm going to guess James and Victoria are camping out there. We're going to drive over there and see if we can find them, or any signs of them. Either would be helpful. We'll call you again after we've searched."

The rest of the family nodded, even though Charlie couldn't see them, and laid back on their seats, but I picked up my phone and held it to my ear. Glancing back at Carlisle and Esme, I walked out of the living room and into the hallway. I didn't want any of them trying to talk me out of what I was going to do.

"Charlie, I have to come with you," I said flatly.

"What? No, you can't Bella. It's too dangerous. We can't be looking out for you as well."

"I'm not saying you have to. I'll stay in a locked car if you want me to. But I haven't done anything to help, and I need to. Please Charlie. I need to be there when we find him."

I could hear the despair in my own voice, and I waited, biting down hard on my lower lip, for Charlie to answer me. When he finally did, I was worried that he'd say no. Ultimately, he had the final say. He was my legal guardian, and he was also leading this investigation. It was totally up to him. I was so relieved when he said yes.

Finding Edward was all a blur to me. I remembered hearing him cry out to Charlie, and spotting him being dragged along by James. I remembered him running away, and being caught by Mark. I remembered James pulling a gun from his pocket and shooting Edward. I remembered catching Edward as he fell, as feeling like my heart was about to break in two.

If Edward hadn't needed me, I'd have ripped James' fucking head off with my bare hands. He was a disgusting, horrible, vile, piece of shit. He shot an innocent man. Did Victoria want him dead? Presumably not. I didn't understand his reasoning at all, but I was so, incredibly angry it was untrue.

Sitting with Edward in my lap as he faded into unconsciousness was one of the most horrible things I'd ever experienced. I saw that Charlie had caught James, and that he too was knocked out, and it didn't take long for everybody to start rushing around Edward. I was told, several times, to get into a car, but I wouldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to leave Edward. I had to be there for him...

Eventually, Charlie allowed the both of us the travel in one van. I didn't let to of Edward's hand on our drive to the hospital, and the cold, clammy texture of it terrified me - Edward's hands were always warm and smooth. I'd have bawled my eyes out, but I knew that I needed to stay strong until he went into the hospital.

When we arrived, Carlisle was waiting for us, looking worried, another couple of doctors by his side. I knew that Carlisle couldn't treat Edward, as he was his father, but I hoped that whoever did treat him would get him back to me in the perfect condition he'd been in three days before.

Edward was carried onto a trolley, and wheeled into the hospital quickly. It was as he went out of sight that I lost it. The dam burst, and I was sobbing in Renee's arms. Every other Cullen arrived within a few minutes, and all looked pale, and white. After a while, Renee made us all go inside.

It was three long, torturous hours later that a doctor in white scrubs walked out to us, looking weary. He told us that they'd removed the bullet from Edward's shoulder, but that he'd lost a lot of blood, and they'd had to do a transfusion. He then said that he was extremely dehydrated, and was on a fluid drip. It seemed that James and Victoria had not looked after his basic human needs.

When Carlisle asked if we could see him, we were told that they were running the final checks, and that he was still under medication. This, of course, set me off crying quietly again. I felt incredibly pathetic, but it all seemed the wrong way around. Edward had always looked after me, and now I had to look after him. He was in hospital, and I needed to be there for him.

It was hard.

When I first walked into Edward's room, to see him bandaged up, skin pale and clammy, hair tousled even more than usual and caked with dirt and blood, I nearly broke down for the millionth time. I prevented myself though, and instead waited for Esme and Carlisle to sit by him ad worry. They were his parents, after all.

I hung back a bit in those minutes, watching everybody else hold his limp hands and kiss his white, drawn forehead and cheeks. I had no idea why I was so nervous about taking my own turn fussing over him, but somehow I couldn't do it. It seemed so wrong to talk to him and reassure him when he wasn't even conscious.

Nevertheless, when Alice moved away from her brother, I sat down in one of those horrible plastic chairs and took one of his hands in mine. It was freezing, despite all of the hands that had just held it and the blankets that were wrapped around him. Gently, I rubbed his hand between mine, trying to warm it up a little. It worked a little.

The next few days were hell, and extremely trying. Edward was kept under medication to give him time to heal, and nobody, myself included, wanted to leave his side. Charlie called us all in sick, for which we were grateful. Even if they had managed to prise me away from Edward's side, I'd never have been able to concentrate on whatever we were doing.

Edward had been missing for just under three days, and he'd been unconscious for a little over three. It was on Friday morning that they took him off of whatever drug they were using to hold him under, but warned us that it would be a while before he awoke on his own. I could deal with that.

During the previous few days, I'd left Edward to attend to my own needs, though had spent most of my day in the hospital, talking to his siblings, and the adults when they were there. Rose and Emmett spent a lot of time studying, as their finals were coming up, and then they'd be off to university. Both wanted to go to Dartmouth, and I had no doubt at all that they'd get in.

However, when Edward was weened off of the medication, I found it impossible to leave him. I needed to be there when he woke up. There wasn't really a logical reason for this, but I was sure that it was a normal thing to want to do for somebody you loved. Then again, what did I know? I wasn't exactly an expert in human behaviour.

It was Saturday morning that Edward finally woke up. I'd been asleep most of the night, though I had woken up at about two o'clock, and had stared at Edward for an hour or so. I was well-rested - as well-rested as one could be after sleeping in a hospital chair - in the morning, and Emmett, the wonderful guy, had bought me a bacon sandwich from the diner. It was the first decent food I'd eaten for several days.

The other Cullen siblings had gone to use the toilet when I felt Edward's fingertips twitch. I was sure I'd imagined it, but I stared at him, searching his face, anyway. What harm could it do? That was when I felt it again. I knew I'd felt it that time. Not five seconds later, Edward's eyelids fluttered, and opened.

It was a miracle, to see his beautiful emerald eyes open and looking around for the first time in so long. A confused, dazed expression crossed his face, and he went to sit up. Gently, I pushed him back down with one hand, my other still wrapped around his. Edward looked towards me for the first time, and a beautiful, albeit small, smile crossed his face.

"Hey there," I said, squeezing his hand gently.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Don't you remember?"

"I remember running away from James, and I remember seeing you..." he trailed off, glancing to me.

"James shot you," I said softly, "In your shoulder."

Edward's face darkened.

"I remember now. Did they catch James?"

"Yeah. Victoria's MIA though."

"Edward!" cried a voice from the door. I didn't need to turn my head to know that the Cullen siblings had returned, and I stepped away from Edward so that his family could hug him gently. Esme too came in, and I suddenly felt like I didn't belong there. They were Edward's family - I wasn't.

I decided to wait outside for a few minutes, while they had their time. Just as I took another step backwards, a few centimetres from the doorway ins chin I was about to lead through, Edward looked back over to me. He frowned, and looked both confused and worried. I shot him a slight smile, and stepped back again.

"Bella? Where are you going?"

All heads in the room twisted towards me. Of course, I blushed deeply, and ducked my head. I head Emmett laugh under his breath, but Jasper was watching me with a careful, calculating expression. I wondered whether Jasper, who was incredibly charismatic, had realised why I was about to leave.

I drifted forwards slowly as their attention turned back to Edward, and stood beside Jasper. He shot me a smile, and bent down to whisper in my ear.

"You're family Bella. Edward wants you here more than he wants the rest of us."

I was sure his words weren't true, but they made me blush again and set a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. But family came first, right? Then again, I thought, the Cullens were more of a family to me than anybody else had been, as were the Masens. As the people around me conversed and told Edward everything that had happened, and recounts Chris injuries, I wondered whether I'd ever see Sarah Black again.

I wanted to. After all, she'd taken good care of me when my parents had died, but I didn't need to. I had my family now, and I loved them all. And she'd left me with Billy, who most definitely hadn't taken good care of me. It was as that thought crossed my mind that another did. Jacob. He was still out there, still looming...

"You're awake I see," a doctor said from the doorway, smiling. He checked Edward's vitals, and told him that they were good. He'd be kept under observation for the night, and could be discharged the following day. I had to be honest, this news made me smile. James hadn't hurt Edward too much.

I hoped.

Esme decided to leave about half an hour later, saying she had some work that needed to be dealt with. She rose up from her chair, kissing her son on the cheek, and floated out of the door. Rose and Emmett followed her to study a little more. I took her seat, and scooted it a little closer to Edward's bedside. He smiled at me, and reached out for my hand.

"You're amazing," he whispered suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

"You're amazing," he repeated softly, "When I was in that hut, every time James or Victoria hurt me, my mind wandered to you. I wanted to scream and shout all the time, and yet you managed to deal with that, and worse, for years. You didn't lunge at your first chance at escape. I wouldn't have been able to do that."

Tenderly, I brushed the hair back from Edward's forehead, making sure I didn't make him more uncomfortable. I understood how Edward had felt when he saw me without make-up on for the first time. My body still bore some of the marks from the Blacks. Some would never go, but would stay as a constant reminder of my childhood. Sometimes, I wished I could turn back time.

But, despite everything bad that had happened, I now had the most perfect man alive with me. The man I loved was mine, and there was very, very little that could interrupt our bliss. Yes, nothing would ever be perfect, other than Edward, but it was damn well close enough. I loved Edward, that much was obvious.

I just had to tell him.


	32. Chapter 31-Keep Holding On

**A/N**

**Alright folks, this is the last regular chapter. It's a little shorter than my normal, as it is just tying up a few lose ends before the epilogue. Both will be filled with fluff, rest assured. I may have added in a little drama somewhere... You know me! Anyway, you knew the drill by now: leave me a comment, and a vote, if deserved!**

**Enjoy this one!**

**Lucy xX**

_You're not alone_  
_Together we stand_  
_I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand_  
_When it gets cold_  
_And it feels like the end_  
_There's no place to go_  
_You know I won't give in_  
_No I won't give in_

_Keep holding on_  
_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_  
_Just stay strong_  
_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you_  
_There's nothing you could say_  
_Nothing you could do_  
_There's no other way when it comes to the truth_  
_So keep holding on_  
_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_So far away_  
_I wish you were here_  
_Before it's too late, this could all disappear_  
_Before the doors close_  
_And it comes to an end_  
_With you by my side I will fight and defend_  
_I'll fight and defend_  
_Yeah, yeah_

_Keep holding on_  
_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_  
_Just stay strong_  
_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you_  
_There's nothing you could say_  
_Nothing you could do_  
_There's no other way when it comes to the truth_  
_So keep holding on_  
_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Keep Holding On ~ Avril Lavigne_

Angela threw her head back and laughed as Alice, Rose and I told her of Emmett's ridiculous attempt at flipping Esme's pancakes that morning. She grinned at us, and told us how Emmett-ish that sounded. Of course, this sent us all off into peals of laughter again. It felt good to laugh like that again, after so much drama in my life as of late.

"So Angela," Rose said, grinning slyly, "What's this I hear about you and Ben uttering the l-word?"

Angela rolled her eyes at Rose, but was smiling nonetheless. I raised an eyebrow, and Alice was practically bouncing in her seat. Leah, who was also with us for the first time, looked amused. I was assuming that Rose had this information from Alice, with her strange, physic abilities and all that, but I wasn't about to ask. Not with Angela and Leah in the room. That was one thing my friends didn't need to hear.

"Do I want to know how you know that?" Leah asked.

"No," Rose said firmly.

"You're right," Angela confessed, "We did."

This set off the girly squeals, the eye-rolls, the cushion-throwing, the shouting, and the eventual giggling all over again. It was nice just to chill at the Cullens' house, and to have an awesome girls night in. And, of course, to allow myself to giggle and laugh about things I could never bring up in front of the guys. Specifically, Edward.

"When?" I asked, needing to know.

"This morning," she said, shooting Rose a pointed look, "So I've no idea how she knows."

Rather than answering, Alice turned to me.

"What about you? Has the l-word been uttered between you and Edward?"

"No," I said.

"What?" Leah asked, "But you've been dating for months. Literally. It's so obvious you love each other."

"I love him," I said, correcting her, "You knows if he loves me?"

"Everybody other than you, it seems," Angela said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Look, I love Edward, but I'm not going to believe he loves me until I hear it from his lips."

This was followed by a hundred and one questions about his lips, and his kisses. The whole conversation had me bright red, and it was Angela that saved me, deciding that she wanted something to eat. Clearly, Angela knew my boundaries a little better than my other friends. Angela really was the most awesome best friend ever.

"What d'you want?" Angela asked, tossing me a pizza menu.

"Pepperoni," I said, not looking at the menu as I flicked through a book which had been lying on the coffee table.

"Who knew that Wuthering Heights when you were fifteen could turn you into a bookworm?" Leah asked.

"What?" Rose asked.

Laughing a little, Leah told my friends all about the letters we'd exchanged for a few years, and how we'd really formed our friendship. She then told them about the book she'd given me the first time we ever spoke. I smiled at the memory, and told Leah that I still had it, and the various photos she'd given me.

Our pizza was delivered at about half two, and we ate it while watching one romantic comedy, which wasn't all that bad. The fact that the leading guy was hot didn't hurt, and Rose commented on it. Of course, I couldn't help but compare him to Edward. His hair didn't look as soft and silky, and his skin wasn't so flawless, but he wasn't half bad.

Several hours later, the guys burst into the house, laughing and shouting and banging. I heard Emmett let out an 'ouch!', followed by Jasper telling him he deserved it. We all laughed, and the door to the den swung open, to reveal Emmett, looking all-to mischievous. He snatched up a piece of left-over pizza, and shoved it in his mouth.

Rose stood up and slapped his head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?"

"Being a prat."

Edward flopped down on the sofa next to me, and, closing his eyes, reached over and pulled me against his side. I wrapped my arms around his chest gently, and saw that he looked incredibly tired, despite his good humour. It was, after all, only a couple of weeks after the drama with James. I knew that his shoulder still pained him at times.

"You ok?" I asked.

"Hm. I'm tired," he murmured.

I glanced up at the clock on the mantle-piece, and realised that I needed to return home soon. Leah announced that she was going, and Angela and Ben decided to go too. We bid them goodbye, and as I hugged Leah, she told me to 'tell him'. It was the second time she'd told me that, and this time I knew what she meant. But, however old-fashioned it sounded, I wanted Edward to say it first.

"I suppose I should be going too," I said, glancing up at Edward.

"No," Edward said, tightening his hold on me, "You're not going anywhere."

I smiled a little.

"Edward, I need to go home."

"No you don't," Edward said again, "You can stay here. Please?"

I sighed. There was no way I could say no to that face. Edward was dazzling me, and he was doing it incredibly well. With a shake of my head, I told him I'd stay, and went to phone Renee to tell her my change of plan. After being told I could stay, I headed back into the den, only to see Rose and Emmett in heated embrace.

A very heated embrace.

One where neither of them were wearing a shirt.

I stumbled backwards blindly and shut the door, then ran up the stairs to Edward's room. I passed Alice's on the way, and heard some rather revolting noises coming from her room too. I heard the door to the den open, and then footsteps ascending the staircase, with a loud groan added in.

Slightly disturbed, I fumbled with the handle to Edward's room and slammed the door. I was hit by the sounds of incredibly loud music, and saw Edward laying back on his bed, a book in hand. He looked up when I shut - with rather a lot of force - the door, and turned his music down slightly.

"Do your siblings always go like this when Esme and Carlisle are away for the weekend?" I asked.

"Yes," Edward said, shuddering, "And I'll admit, once upon a time so did I."

I winced slightly at the thought, and sat down on the edge of Edward's bed. He threw his book down and opened his arms to me in invitation. I shuffled over and buried myself in his chest, loving the smell. It was all Edward. I'd missed being able to do this when he was gone.

Victoria was still on the run, and nobody had seen her. She seemed to be exceedingly good at evading the police. Jacob was also missing, but he'd been spotted once in Canada. Nobody had been able to track him from there, and Charlie believed he was either using fake IDs, or stealing everything.

Edward pressed a kiss to the top of my head, snapping me from my brief thoughts about Jacob and Victoria. You'd think that I'd get used to Edward's touch, but oh no. Even after however many months it was, the briefest brush of his fingertips had my skin tingling. I liked to think that he felt the same whenever I touched him, but I knew that it was unlikely. He always seemed to calm and collected, there was no way I affected him like he affected me.

"Can I turn the music back up?" Edward asked, shuddering.

"Be my guest," I said.

As soon as he had set the remote down, Edward brought his lips to mine, and kissed me. It was one of his addictive kisses - a kiss if total and utter possession. His lips moved in synch with mine, and his tongue explored every inch of my mouth. I ran my fingers through his hair, earning me a low growl.

Edward trailed kisses down my neck and along my collarbone, and then kissed my lips again. I pressed my own set of hot, open-mouthed kisses against his neck, and below his earlobe. It seemed to be a weak spot. It was also where his Edward-y scent was the strongest.

After what felt like hours of making-out, I found myself below Edward as he hovered over me, holding himself up on his elbows, consuming my lips. I felt suddenly nervous. I'd never been in such an intimate position with a guy before. Well, not by choice, at least. Thankfully, Edward seemed to sense my reluctance as he rolled over onto his side.

Eventually, we decided to get some sleep, and I slipped into bed with Edward. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and held me to him tightly. I'd forgotten how beautifully amazing and relaxing it was to sleep in Edward's arms. Edward buried his face in my hair, and hummed gently.

Just before I drifted off to sleep, I heard Edward murmur something in my ear, but I didn't hear what it was. I was about to ask him, when sleep pulled me under, enveloping me softly. By the time I awoke the following morning, I'd forgotten all about it. It was a long time before I knew what Edward had said.

Finals were coming up fast, and, consequently, tempers were running high. More than a few cat-fights had broken out around school, and several girls had been seen screaming at each other. Boys got into fights constantly, it seemed, and the principle was called out of his office every day.

Now that Victoria had disappeared, Rose had decided to spend her last few weeks at Forks High as the Queen Bee. I wasn't complaining. Prom was also coming up, and I had no doubt that Rose and Emmett would be crowned king and queen. Alice was obsessing over the upcoming dance, but I couldn't find it in myself to give a damn.

I was constantly tired, as I spent huge chunks of my days and evenings studying, and I was stressed over finals. Edward wasn't much better, though he could pass his exams with ridiculous ease. Hell, I suspected that if he really worked his butt off he'd get into Harvard. Selfish though it may sound, I wasn't going to encourage that. I didn't have a chance of getting to Harvard.

Edward hadn't asked me to the prom, and we hadn't really spoken about it. I knew that both Rose and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and Angela and Ben were going, and Alice bugged me about it constantly. It wasn't until about a week before the event that I felt I had to bring it up, due to a little incident in the girls bathroom.

After coming out of Spanish one day, I told Angela that I'd meet her in the lunch-hall later. I disappeared into the bathrooms for a few minutes, and when I came out, I saw none other than Lauren Mallory smirking at me. I shot her a glare, and went to step past her, but she blocked my path, and left me no choice but to listen to whatever she had to say.

"So Swan," she smirked, "You and Edward going to prom?"

"No," I said shortly.

"Why? What happened?"

"We have other plans," I lied.

"Admit it, you're on the verge of breaking up."

"What?" I asked, looking at her like she was mad, "No, we're not."

"Whatever Swan. He'll be mine by prom night."

I shook my head at her stupidity, and walked into the lunch hall. Unfortunately, Edward had been held back by his teacher, and wasn't there to listen to my tale of Lauren. I didn't have a chance to speak to him about it in biology, but decided to discuss it with him after school.

We pulled up in Renee and Charlie's driveway, and he climbed out of his silver Volvo behind me. I unlocked the front door, and we sat down heavily on the couch. He flicked on the TV, putting it on in the background, and I turned to him, knowing that I had to speak. I still felt a little worried about what I was going to say.

"You know prom is coming up in a week," I began, but Edward cut me off.

"I haven't asked you to prom because I didn't think you'd really want to go. If you do, we can go."

I smiled.

"I don't particularly want to go, but if you want to, I will," I said.

"I don't really want to go either," Edward said.

"That's that then."

"Mm. Why did you ask all of a sudden?" he asked.

I told Edward about Lauren, and he assured me that he wasn't going to break up with me. This lead to a bit of kissing, until Renee came home, busting us in the process. God, that was embarrassing.

Despite Edward's assurances, when Lauren continued on her quest and began spreading rumours about Edward and I being about to break up, and me forcing him into a relationship with me, it hurt. I knew that it shouldn't, as it wasn't true, but it did, and t worried me a little.

Angela, ever-observant person she was, asked me what had me so worried and upset. When I told her, her immediate advice was to talk to Edward. When I did, he once again assured me that none of it was true. I knew that, but it still hurt me. I didn't say this though, as I knew it would only worry Edward.

I didn't consider that my upsets had another cause.

Edward and I hadn't really had any real arguments, so it was bound to happen eventually. And it did. It was my fault, really. I'd been angry about something, and stalked out of the room. It wasn't related to Edward, so he followed me after a moment, clearly trying to comfort me. But when he did, it. Only served to anger me further. I shouted at him, and ended up slamming the door in his face.

"Fine!" he yelled from outside my room, "I'll go!"

I sobbed on my bed, and that was how Alice had found me. Clearly, Edward had told his sister about our fight, and Alice had taken it upon herself to come over and see me. We talked for a couple of hours, and Alice eventually made a very, very tentative suggest, clearly worried about angering me.

"You know that you need to talk to Edward about this," she began, "But I was wondering whether your... unstable moods were because of, well, you know, the Blacks, and all that drama with Victoria and James? Perhaps you should try talking to someone? I'm sure Carlisle knows about that..."

I told her I'd think about it, and I did. A couple of days later, I decided to talk to Carlisle about it. I'd spoken to and made up with Edward, who supported my decision. I was glad that he agreed with what I was doing, as I didn't want to cause another argument between us.

Talking to somebody did help, and I found myself shouting and screaming and crying in my first session, releasing much of the anger I didn't even know had built up. I found myself a lot calmer during finals week as a consequence. I realised then, that no matter how hard things got, I could hold on, with Edward.

As I listened to Edward play the piano one evening after our final exams, I thought back over the past year. It was incredible how much things had changed. I'd escaped the hell-house, I'd gained some friends, gotten list in high school drama, and, most importantly, I'd found the man I knew I loved with all my heart.

But he still didn't know that.

And I needed to tell him.


	33. Epilogue

_I like your smile_  
_I like your vibe_  
_I like your style_  
_But that's not why I love you_

_And I, I like the way_  
_You're such a star_  
_But that's not why I love you_  
_Hey_  
_Do you feel, do you feel me?_  
_Do you feel what I feel, too?_  
_Do you need, do you need me?_  
_Do you need me?_

_You're so beautiful_  
_But that's not why I love you_  
_I'm not sure you know_  
_That the reason I love you is you_  
_Being you_  
_Just you_  
_Yeah the reason I love you is all that we've been through_  
_And that's why I love you_

_I like the way you misbehave_  
_When we get wasted_  
_But that's not why I love you_  
_And how you keep your cool_  
_When I am complicated_  
_But that's not why I love you_

_Hey_  
_Do you feel, do you feel me?_  
_Do you feel what I feel, too?_  
_Do you need, do you need me?_  
_Do you need me?_

_You're so beautiful_  
_But that's not why I love you_  
_And I'm not sure you know_  
_That the reason I love you is you_  
_Being you_  
_Just you_  
_Yeah the reason I love you is all that we've been through_  
_And that's why I love you_

_I Love You ~ Avril Lavigne_

Our senior year was by far less dramatic than our junior year. For a while, things in our lives were going fantastically. Edward and I were going strong, it seemed that there were no threats, and I had been going to the therapist less and less. My temper and emotions were well under control, and I could have the wonderful last year in Forks with the guy I loved.

But there was one thing that worried me.

For several months, I took very little notice of it. Yes, I thought about it from time to time, but it wasn't until Alice, Angela, Leah and I were hanging out one weekend and talking about our guys and the like that I realised just how much it was actually upsetting me. It was Alice that I ended up sobbing and confessing to.

"I just don't know what to do Alice!" I cried, "I want to tell him so much, but I can't."

"Why can't you Bella? You love him, and I'm sure he loves you. You can tell him what you feel. You've been dating for more than a year," she said during our Easter break.

"It's stupid," I said, "But I want him to say it first."

"Because that's what happens in all those romance books you read? I can understand that. Edward tends to over-think things a lot. Let me assure you, he'll come round eventually."

"How can you be sure?" I asked, "For all I know, he's dating me out of pity."

"Now you're just being silly Bella," Alice said softly, "Edward wouldn't do that. You know he wouldn't. Not for a year."

"What if I end up like Tanya? Ripped down the middle and left to rot in a corner?"

It was true. Since Edward and Tanya had broken up the year before, Tanya had gradually fallen into decline. Not only had her popularity status fallen dramatically, but her general appearance was changing, as were her grades, which were falling even more than they had before. Nobody really knew why the break-up had hit her so hard, as she'd done it to herself, but I never, ever wanted to be like that. I almost felt sorry for her.

"Bella," Alice sighed, "You have to trust yourself, and you have to trust other people."

"I know I do. Self-esteem is still an issue for me."

"It's ok," she said.

"No Alice, it really isn't ok," I said, feeling miserable.

Mine and Edward's relationship felt like it had been going on forever, but over the past year or so, it felt like it had come to a standstill. There had been no progress on the physical front - not that I was ready for there to be - and I hadn't confessed my feelings to Edward. I wanted to - hell I wanted to - but I couldn't. But, for the time being, I put it out of my mind.

When prom came around, Alice was ecstatic all over again, and immediately put her name down for the prom committee. She ended up being the head of it. Needless to say, the few weeks surrounding our finals were filled with an over-excited, far too bubbly Alice. I had to be honest though, that year, I too was excited about the prom. I wanted to go, and I hoped that Edward would ask me.

And he did.

Finals were over, and prom was the talk of the town. Alice had great fun dressing up myself and Angela for our prom night, and was pleased to see the dress I'd bought over a year ago being used at last. It was a strange feeling to sit in front of a mirror while Alice did my hair and make-up, thinking about going to a dance. The last dance I'd been to was the Christmas dance during my junior year, when I'd still been living with the Blacks.

That in itself seemed weird.

After deeming myself and Angela perfect, we slipped on our dresses and oohed and ahed at each other. I half-expected Emmett to appear suddenly and start joking around with us, but I knew he was off at university. I missed him and Rose explicitly, but I knew that I could have fun at prom without them.

We headed downstairs to meet the guys, who were all wearing black suits with cummerbunds to match the colour of their girls' dresses. Alice had done a great job, and Edward looked... mouthwatering. His hair was perfectly tousled, and his malachite eyes shone as he looked at me. There were two other beautiful girls walking down with me, but his gaze didn't waver from mine.

Edward caught me as I stumbled on the bottom step, and I reached him with typical ungracefulness. He smiled at me, and told me I looked beautiful.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I replied, smiling back shyly.

The Masens, Angela's parents, and Carlisle and Esme all took photographs of us, and I had to admit that the evening felt perfect already, and we hadn't even reached school. We clambered into our various cars, and bid the adults goodbye. I could have sworn I saw a tear escape Esme's eye.

Edward and I talked lightly on our journey there, and laughed about Emmett's ridiculous dance moves, which we had last witnessed at the Christmas dance the previous year. We pulled up in the school parking lot, and Edward offered me his hand as I climbed out of the car, trying not to harm my dress.

We headed into the gym, where it had been transformed into a dance floor. There were multiple disco balls and various lights swirling round. The whole atmosphere made me feel slightly nervous. Edward lead me over to a table where Angela and Ben were sitting, and went to grab some drinks.

"What d'you think of Alice's work?" Ben asked, grinning.

"It's bright," I said, laughing a little as I looked around.

"That it is," Ben replied.

"Don't let Alice hear you say that," Angela said.

"Why? It wasn't an insult."

"She'll think it is."

"But it isn't."

"But she-"

"Seriously you two, shut up," I said, smiling at the couple as they bickered.

Edward returned at that moment with some drinks, and he thrust a coke into my hands. Just as I snapped open the can and took a swig, Alice waltzed over to us, Jasper in tow. Both were sporting huge grins. I watched Alice slightly warily, wondering what on Earth she wanted from me.

"Don't look so worried Bella. Come and dance!" she said, throwing a hand backwards and motioning to the packed, bustling dance floor.

I nearly winced. It was full of people moving and throwing their hands around, having a great time. But that meant that there was nowhere to put your feet without having your toes stamped on and broken. I really, really didn't want to end up in the ER on prom night. That would suck, for myself and for Edward.

But Alice's expression left no room for arguments.

With a resigned sigh, I stood up and headed towards the dance floor, Edward's hand wrapped firmly around mine. It was a relatively fast song, and it took me a moment to find my rhythm and start enjoying myself. When I did, a smile lit up my face, and I struggled to pull my gaze away from Edward's.

The song changed. Edward placed his hands on my hips, and I put mine on his shoulders, enabling us to move together in time to the music. I spotted Angela and Ben dancing, and Alice and Jasper looking elated. I also spotted Kate and Irina dancing with a couple of boys from my Spanish class, and Jessica and Mike were together. It was great to see all my friends having a good time.

After dancing to many songs, I told Edward that I was going to use the bathroom. He nodded, and waited for me at the table we'd been sitting at before Alice dragged us onto the dance floor. As I walked out of the cubicle to wash my hands, the sounds of heart-wrenching sobs filled the air.

The sounds were coming from the cubicle at the end, and the door was unlocked. While it wasn't any of my business, whoever it was seemed so, incredibly upset I had to offer my help. Else it would be bugging me all night. Gingerly, I knocked on the door and pushed it open slightly.

Imagine my surprise when I saw Tanya.

"Tanya?" I asked, "What on Earth's the matter?"

Tanya sniffed, but didn't answer me.

"Come on, you can't sit in there on your own all night. At least get yourself cleaned up," I said.

As I tugged Tanya over to the sink to wash her face and to fix her running mascara, I realised how strange it was for me, the victim if Tanya's bitchiness for many months, to be helping and comforting her. It just proved that I was the bigger person. I doubted Tanya would ever help me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, once Tanya had washed her face and wiped away her make-up.

"You wouldn't understand," she said.

"I think I would."

She sighed.

"Everything is going wrong, and it's all my own fault. I know I failed most of my finals, and my parents are refusing to fund my university education, even temporarily."

"Sounds like you need to get a job, and a student loan," I said.

I couldn't really feel sympathy for Tanya - she'd brought it all upon herself - but I did feel pity. Tanya hadn't thought through anything she'd done over the past couple of years, and had, consequently, landed herself in a miserable state. She didn't have the support of her parents anymore, and her sisters hated her. Kate and Irina had practically disowned themselves from the Denali family.

"I do," she whispered, "But more than that, I just need somebody to support me. I didn't realise it at the time, when I was cheating and being a bitch, but I'm insecure, and dating somebody like Edward made me more confident. Edward supported me, because I put on an act that he liked. But I want somebody that accepts me for who I am."

At that, she burst into tears again, and I hugged her gently. I understood what she was saying, but it didn't make what she'd done in the past right. You couldn't turn back time, but you could change what you did in the future. It seemed to me that Tanya had a lot of thinking to do.

Angela walked in as I was hugging Tanya - probably at Edward's request, as I'd been gone a while - and looked surprised. I motioned to her to say that I was fine. I said goodbye to Tanya after telling her that there was plenty of time to change, and then explained what had happened to Angela and Edward, the latter of which was pacing outside.

Edward looked mildly surprised by what I said, but didn't contradict anything I said. Angela headed back to Ben, and I looked at the dance floor. It was even busier than it had been when we'd left, and it looked distinctly unappealing. Edward suggested that we head outside, and I nodded to him.

He lead me onto a small, nearly-empty, raised dance floor, with slow, quiet music playing in the background. Flowers were dotted around the edges, and low lights lit it up in a gentle glow. Edward took my hand in his, and placed his other on my waist. We danced slowly for a while, talking and laughing quietly.

When the night came to an end, I couldn't help but think that it had been perfect. With a final kiss to my lips, Edward lead me back to his silver Volvo, thanking me for a great night. After adding my own thanks, we left Forks High for what would be the final time as students.

The summer break was well-needed, and gave me ample time to hang around with everybody. Rose and Emmett came back to Forks for their own break, and we all found ourselves together again. We had many girl dates, shopping trips, and romantic movie nights, and the boys had their own fun days together.

I spent a couple of days with Angela, spending time with the person I considered my best friend, and I visited the Clearwaters a few times, sometimes with Edward, sometimes with the girls, sometimes alone. I spent a few hours on Friday and Saturday afternoons working, and, of course, I got to spend lots of time with Edward.

It was during early August that Edward really shared something with me.

It was one of those rare, beautifully sunny and warm days in Forks, and I received a phone call at about eleven o'clock from Edward, asking me if I was available to go on a date for the day. Needless to say, I said yes, and Edward picked me up not long afterwards. He'd told me to cover my legs, so I donned a pair of jeans an a light t-shirt.

When we pulled up outside the forest, and Edward told me that we weren't following the trail, I panicked a bit. I couldn't hike at all, and Edward was taking me off the trail, where there were brambles, thistles, low-hanging branches and rabbit holes, perfect for falling in and twisting your ankle.

"I won't let you fall, I promise," Edward assured me.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded, and Edward took my hand, leading my into the forest. I tripped on many occasions, but each time, Edward caught me. He trampled down brambles for me and held branches out of my way. He had obviously done this before. I didn't ask where we were going, as I knew I wouldn't get an answer.

A few miles in, Edward told me to close my eyes. I complied, and Edward lead me forwards a few steps. For a moment, there was silence in the air, save for the gentle rustling of the trees and the faint rushing of a stream that I could hear, far off in the distance. Then, quietly, Edward told me to open my eyes.

What was in front of me was beautiful. There was simply no other way to put it. Before us, was a natural, perfectly round meadow, with about nine-inch high grasses. Flowers were littered everywhere around the area, in various different colours; yellow, soft white, light pinks, purples and blues. I could still hear the bubbling of a stream.

I turned to Edward.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"I found this about a year after I first moved to Forks. I've never shown it to anyone before, except you."

My eyes filled with tears. It was an incredibly sweet thing to do. I threw my arms around Edward's neck and kissed him. He pulled away, smiling, and motioned to the picnic basket and blanket set to one side of the meadow, which I hadn't previously noticed. I had a feeling that it would be our most fantastic date yet.

We sat down together, and began to eat the foods Edward had prepared. We laughed, chatted, and kissed for a couple of hours, snacking on the food intermittently. Having finished all of the delicious meal, we laid back on the grass, turning our heads so that we were facing each other.

The sun broke over the trees to our left, bathing the place in a warm, sunny glow. Edward drew me to him and kissed my lips gently, making my heart thud irregularly. After a couple of minutes, Edward pulled away from me, and searched my eyes, as though looking for something in their plain, brown depths.

"I've tried this before Bella," he murmured, "But I never got to finish."

"What are you talking about?" I asked softly.

"When I saw you in the lunch hall, giving me just a single glance, I couldn't get you out of my head. I felt so guilty. I had a girlfriend, and my thoughts were constantly on another girl. I was confused about you too. Sometimes, it seemed like you were as affected by me as I was by you, and then sometimes, it seemed like you couldn't care less. Though all the drama I went through with Tanya... Just hearing your voice made me feel better. I haven't been able to get you out of my head since we first met, no matter how hard I tried. Now I've given up. I don't want you out of my head."

I'd heard a similar version of this speech once before. I knew I had. It was on New Year's Day during my junior year, after Edward first played the piano to me. When he first played the piece that he said was inspired by me. Emmett had interrupted him before he'd been able to finish, and he never had told me what he'd been going to say. I had a feeling I was about to find out.

"I didn't understand what was going on in my mind," Edward said, his voice softening impossibly further, "I still don't really understand what's going on in my mind, but I have several theories. I don't think anybody knows what it is, so they've invented a strange little word for it. It's such a small word, but no other number of words in our dictionaries could possibly describe it."

Edward took a deep breath, and reached up to cup my cheek with one hand.

"Bella, I love you."

For a moment, I just stared at Edward, unable to move or make a sound. Edward Cullen loved me. For the first time, I was able to name the emotion I'd seen so many times in his eyes, for so very many months. Love. I didn't know how I hadn't realised it before. Perhaps I was in denial, or perhaps I just thought it was too good to be true.

But he'd said it.

It had come from his own lips.

"Say something Bella," Edward begged me, his jovial expression fading slightly. I hadn't realised how long I'd been quiet for, but I knew that I had to rectify the situation. How long had I known it for? A year and a half? Just over? Long enough for me to untie my tongue, and for a gentle smile to spread across my face.

"I love you too Edward," I whispered.

At my words, Edward's face lit up again, and he crushed his lips against mine, cupping my face tenderly in both of his large, warm hands. After so long, I could say those three little words that I'd been wanting to say for longer than I cared to admit. There was one emotion in our kiss.

Love.

"I love you," I whispered as we pulled away.

"I love you too," Edward replied, smiling softly.

Suddenly, Edward's cell phone rang, breaking the mood and startling us both. He slipped it from his pocket, one arm still around me where I'd been pulled into his lap, and he held it to his ear. I could hear somebody talking very fast on the other end of the phone. It could only be Alice. Edward scowled at whatever she said, and told her we'd be there in a couple of hours.

"Alice?" I asked.

"Yes," Edward sighed, "Apparently Jessica and Mike are throwing a goodbye party before we all go off to university."

"And she wants to dress us up?"

"Something like that."

"We'd better get going then," I said, not moving an inch.

"Uh uh. You're staying right here," Edward said, nuzzling my neck with his nose.

I let out a laugh.

"Come on, I don't want to feel the wrath of the pixie. Besides, we've got plenty of time to come back here," I said.

Edward sighed again and kissed my lips softly, before pulling both of us.

"Let's go get nauseated from watching Emmett and Rose," Edward said, grinning his customary, crooked smile.

I grinned back at him.

"Let's pick up some pizza first."

We both chuckled, and made our way over to the edge of the meadow, before disappearing into the forest. I was sure that in the times we visited the meadow in the future, I'd learn my own way there, and possibly improve my sense of balance, but for the moment, I was happy to let Edward hold my hand as we wandered back to the car.

Life was more or less perfect.

**A/N**

**So that's the end! I'm not particularly sad yet, as I've got a sequel or two planned, though I've got some other things to work on and finish first. It took Bella and Edward a while, but they've got to the 'I love you's now. For the time being, I hope you've enjoyed coming in this journey with me, and I'd love to have a final comment and your final opinion on the whole thing. To those of you who have stuck with me all the way over the last few months, thank you, and to those who are just joining me one journey, welcome to the House of vulturemonem!**

**Over the next few months I'll be focusing on 'Ice Angel' and 'Seducing the Good-Girl', and then I'll be starting a vampire story for NaNoWriMo, which is held in November. I hope that those of you that we're fans of 'Saviour' will give those a chance too, and I'd love to hear from you!**

**Thank you for all of your comments and votes - they mean the world to me!**

**Lucy xX**


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